Forging Steel | Empire State Acceleration

Why does everything look right on the outside but feel so off on the inside? You checked all the boxes, the degrees, the job, the title, maybe even the business, yet underneath you are exhausted and your time is not your own.In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds gets real about what it means to feel like a tenant in your own life and how easy it is to mistake external success for true ownership.She shares her personal story of retiring at 46 and facing the uncomfortable truth. Even with all the achievements, something still felt off. That moment became the wake-up call to stop focusing on curb appeal and start rebuilding from within.Tiana introduces a powerful metaphor of building a skyscraper. Many of us are trying to create something lasting, legacy, impact, freedom, but we are doing it on a foundation that is completely depleted. No energy. No capacity. No sustainability. And eventually, that kind of structure cannot hold.Through the idea of a Strategic PAUSE, Tiana explains why stepping back is not falling behind. It is necessary. It is how you restore your energy, reset your internal wiring, and reconnect with who you are beyond titles and expectations.She also shares practical ways to start, including journaling to clear mental clutter and identifying the internal saboteurs that keep you stuck in stress mode. Let’s dive in.In This Episode[00:27] Retiring at 46: curb appeal vs. real cost[01:27] Renting space in your own life[02:47] Ancestors' work wasn't for this tiredness[03:00] Skyscraper legacy vs. building on fumes[05:53] Internal operating system glitch (not your plan)[06:43] Her 2024 layoff [08:04] Vertical Acceleration Plan[08:47] Client story: Danielle flipping from saboteurs to Sage, owning the deed[09:58] Journaling prompts Notable Quotes[02:48] “My ancestors worked too hard so that I can be successful. They didn't work so that I can be this tired.”[05:40] “Most of this, 80 to 90% of this, is a glitch in your internal operating system. We do it to ourselves.”[07:10] “I spent months curing the concrete. I had to fix my own internal wiring.”[09:21] " By owning the deed to her time, she owns the deed to her energy.”[10:06] “Your legacy isn't about how much you can suffer... Your legacy is about the structure you build to last.”Resources and LinksStop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/Podcast⁠Build Our Own Rooms⁠Tiana SymmondsWebsite - ⁠https://www.asktiana.online/⁠LinkedIn - ⁠linkedin.com/in/tosymmonds⁠The Architect’s Drafting Table - ⁠https://thearchitectsdraftingtable.substack.com⁠MentionedStop paying for career success with your health. 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.