Productive Struggle and Joyful Leadership: Redefining Success in Business

What if your routines are quietly stifling your company's growth? In this episode of the BOLD Business Podcast, host Jess Dewell sits down with Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, to explore a rebellious mindset shift that disrupts burnout and drives fresh thinking in today's fast-changing business landscape.   Dr. Berry challenges the "go it alone" approach to leadership, making the case that lasting impact is built through collaboration, belonging, and the willingness to face discomfort together. From her Stop, Walk, and Think process to the power of tiny acts of rebellion, she offers practical ways to break mental ruts, spark innovation, and reconnect with what truly matters.   You'll walk away understanding how celebrating effort fuels both immediate momentum and long-term goals, why joy isn't forced positivity but a practice worth designing into your culture, and how productive struggle — for your team and your clients — is one of the boldest moves a leader can make.   In this episode: Why identity and self-worth get tangled up in workplace change — and how to navigate it How hands-on, project-based environments unlock natural curiosity and real growth Making KPIs flexible enough to reflect shifting goals without losing structure Reflection rituals that sharpen focus and reduce distraction How micro-changes in daily habits fuel bigger innovation Cultivating joy as a resilience strategy, not a feel-good afterthought   If you're ready to redefine success to include joy and productive struggle, this conversation is your starting point.   —---------   If you want to identify business bottlenecks, the necessary skills, the initial actions to take, the expected milestones, and the priorities for achieving growth, try the "Growth Framework Reset" approach. This will help you to keep learning and growing while working strategically on your business.   -------------------- You can get in touch with Jess Dewell on Twitter,  LinkedIn or Red Direction website.