Stop Being an Emotional Sherpa | Janet Barrett | Author of Stop the Break & Mental Health Speaker

What if the key to emotional resilience wasn’t talking more but physically releasing what’s been stuck inside for years? Janet Barrett is a mental health speaker and the author of Stop the Break, a book about proactive mental health and how we can stop carrying invisible emotional burdens that keep us from thriving. In this conversation, Janet shares the moment she broke and how that moment became the catalyst for completely changing how she lives, parents, and leads. You’ll hear how a divorce forced her to finally confront decades of buried emotion, and how boxing gloves, movement, and a few brave choices helped her find peace, clarity, and joy again. We talk about mental health, mindset coaching for women, leadership, personal development, and what redefining success really looks like after a lifetime of "keeping it all together." CHAPTERS: 00:00 From career success to emotional burnout 01:15 Why Janet wrote Stop the Break 03:00 What made her a different kind of boss 05:30 Early career lessons from Sara Lee and Reebok 08:00 Four kids in three years, and a major life pivot 10:15 The breakdown that changed everything 13:00 Discovering the power of physical emotional release 15:00 How boxing became therapy 18:00 Why women leaders suppress emotions 20:00 The cost of emotional suppression 22:00 Parenting with mental health in mind 25:00 Giving kids tools for emotional expression 28:00 How Janet helps others feel seen 31:00 What workplaces get wrong about mental health 34:30 Writing the book she needed 36:00 The mindset shift that changed everything 38:30 What being powerful means now 40:00 What she needs next: speaking and visibility The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms. Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think. Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices