Women, Leadership, and Hidden Workplace Stress: Shayna Bergman's Story

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, host Amy Stone welcomes Shayna Bergman, a coach and former HR leader, to discuss a pivotal moment during the pandemic lockdown that changed the course of her professional and personal life. Shayna shares the story of a work incident that led her to reevaluate her career and take a bold leap into coaching, aligning her work with her true values and passions.About the Guest:Shayna Bergman is a passionate, results-driven executive and leadership coach who empowers parents in leadership roles to unlock their potential and achieve deeper fulfillment personally and professionally. With a background in global talent development, HR leadership, and university teaching, she brings perceptiveness, insight, and truth-telling to every client interaction. Certified by the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching and accredited by the ICF, Shayna has earned multiple awards, including Alignable’s 2024 Local Business Person of the Year and Marquis Who’s Who 2025. She lives in Fairfax, VA with her husband and two spirited kids, and when she’s not coaching, she enjoys dining out, hiking, and organizing everything from her calendar to her kitchen drawers.Main Topics Covered:Shayna’s pre-pandemic “hamster wheel” lifestyle as a busy HR leader and mom of twoThe chaos and challenges of parenting and working during pandemic lockdown without local supportThe workplace confrontation that sparked Shayna’s realization it was time to make a major life and career changeNavigating imposter syndrome and shifting from HR to a coaching practiceBuilding a business aligned with one’s authentic self and valuesThe impact of career changes on personal fulfillment, family, and day-to-day lifeThe realities of managing the “emotional load” and gender dynamics in leadershipTips for finding alignment between family, work, and personal valuesQuote from the Episode:"I could keep working here and be a part of the problem, or I could actually help people like this not do this to other people... I need to step outside of it and help." — Shayna BergmanTimestamps:00:00:01 – Amy introduces Shayna and previews the episode00:03:18 – Shayna describes life pre-pandemic and her work/family dynamic00:04:51 – The reality of strict lockdown for Shayna’s family00:08:37 – The snapping point: a rude workplace confrontation00:11:53 – Gender dynamics and the emotional load at work00:15:33 – Shayna’s path to HR and underlying desire to coach00:20:59 – Recognizing “everything is great” might not be true fulfillment00:22:17 – Shayna’s private journey toward making a career pivot00:26:01 – Realizing her natural fit for coaching00:30:39 – How Shayna’s life has changed and the impact of her work now00:33:41 – Where to connect with Shayna and her free resource offer00:36:00 – Rapid-fire questions; Shayna’s take on TV, movies, and dream shopping spreesSpecial Offer:Download Shayna’s guide, “Design You: A Guide to Thriving Personally and Professionally”—normally $499—for free via the link Visit https://shaynabergman.com/free-guide-design-your-year/ If you love the show and you'd like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/supportNever Miss a Moment of Imperfect AdultingWe invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you'll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.Why subscribe?Stay up-to-date without checking your podcast appGet guest offers delivered straight to your inboxAccess all important links in one convenient placeCatch the highlights even when you don't have time to listenAre you ready? Join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com If you have a story to share and you'd like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Pitch yourself at https://www.imperfectadulting.com/be-a-guestHere are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links :-)For livestreaming and recording ECamm https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofjFor Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stonebefore that I used Kit. Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors