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Change Is Hard

by Audrey Blair

You don’t need productivity hacks. You need a new way of thinking.Change is Hard explores what it really takes to evolve in your leadership, your career, and yourself. Hosted by executive coach Audrey Blair, this podcast goes beyond surface advice and dives into identity shifts, executive presence, confidence, power, effective communication, and the uncomfortable conversations real growth demands.Growth isn’t about knowing more. It’s about becoming more.Because Change Is Hard ... And you can do hard things.

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Episodes

  1. [EP 61] What Strength of Yours Has Become Expensive?

    The strengths that helped you become successful can eventually start costing you. Responsibility can become over-responsibility. Helpfulness can become over-functioning. High standards can become control. Availability can become constant interruption. Calm can become emotional suppression....

  2. [EP 60] Still True: Not Everything You're Trying to Solve Is A Problem.mp4

    We tend to treat every challenge like a problem that needs to be solved. But some situations have one clear answer. Some have several reasonable solutions. Some force you to choose between competing consequences. And others create tensions that will never disappear no matter how smart…

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  3. [EP 59] How to Know When You’ve Outgrown the Way You Lead

    At some point in your leadership career, the very behaviors that helped make you successful can start to become limitations. Being dependable. Knowing the answers. Taking ownership. Being the person everyone comes to. Jumping in when something needs to get done. Those habits work—until your role,...

  4. [EP 58] Confidence Looks Back. Self-Trust Looks Forward

    What do you do when you’re facing something you’ve never done before? Confidence can only take you so far because confidence is built on evidence — past experience, past wins, and proof that you’ve handled something similar before. But eventually, you reach the edge of that evidence. That’s where...

  5. [EP 57] How to Ask Powerful Questions: Stop Solving and Start Asking Better Questions.mp4

    Great leaders don’t need to have all the answers. In fact, one of the most powerful leadership skills is knowing how to ask better questions. In this episode, Audrey explores why leaders are often too quick to solve, advise, or take ownership of someone else’s problem—and how powerful questions…

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  6. [EP 56] Do I Practice What I Preach? An Honest Conversation With My Program Coordinator

    It is easy to talk about leadership. It is another thing to have someone who works closely with you describe what your leadership actually feels like. In this behind-the-scenes conversation, I sit down with Feliz, my assistant and program manager at The Leadership Lab, and ask the uncomfortable...

  7. [EP 55] The Leadership Work You Keep Treating As "Extra Work"

    Many leaders divide their work into two categories: the “real work” and everything else that interrupts it. But strategic thinking, building relationships, developing others, attending leadership events, and investing in your own growth are not distractions from the job. They are the job. In this...

  8. [EP 54] The Leadership Signals You're Missing: A Conversation with Hanna Bauer

    In this episode, I’m joined by Hanna Bauer for a conversation about leadership, resilience, and what Lean Six Sigma can teach us about building healthier human systems. Hanna shares how her childhood experience with a serious heart condition shaped the way she thinks about signals, uncertainty…

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  9. [EP 53] What Leaders Are Really Asking AI Right Now

    AI is no longer just a tool leaders are experimenting with. It is becoming a leadership challenge. In this episode, Audrey explores five of the biggest questions leaders are asking about AI right now: Are we moving fast enough? Where is the ROI? Who is accountable when AI gets it wrong? How do we...

  10. [EP 52] AI Can Out-Know You: Here Are Skills It Can't Replace

    In this episode of Change Is Hard, Audrey continues the conversation about why knowledge alone is no longer enough — especially in an AI-supported world. AI can summarize, generate, analyze, and help us move faster. But it cannot replace the human skills leaders need most: discernment, judgment...

  11. [EP 51] The Right Now Role: A Conversation With Jennifer Doty

    In this episode, Audrey talks with Jennifer Doty about career identity, feeling stuck, job search beliefs, and the mindset shift behind what Jennifer calls the “right now role.” They explore why so many people tie their worth to a title, how fear can sabotage career decisions, and how to make the...

  12. [EP 50] Knowledge Is Not Power: You Don't Need More Information. You Need More Reps

    We’ve all heard the phrase, “knowledge is power.” But knowledge by itself is only potential power. In this episode, Audrey explores why more information isn’t always the answer — and how learning can sometimes become a way to avoid discomfort, uncertainty, or action. She breaks down the…

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  13. [EP 49] Forget FOMO: Explore The Leadership Joy of Missing Out

    FOMO gets a lot of attention, but in leadership, it is not always about missing out on something fun. Sometimes FOMO looks like joining meetings you do not need to be in, staying copied on every thread, or keeping yourself close to decisions that no longer require your direct involvement. In this...

  14. [EP 48] Wake Up to Die Again: Conversation with Author Scott Lackey

    In this episode of Change Is Hard, I’m joined by Scott Lackey, author of Wake Up to Die Again: Breaking Who You Became So You Can Be Who You Were Meant to Be. We talk about the quiet but powerful impact of broken promises — especially the ones we make to ourselves. Scott shares how his own…

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  15. [EP 47] Every New Season Requires Something to Die

    In this reflective episode, Audrey explores why every new season of life, leadership, and growth requires some kind of release. As summer begins and her birthday approaches, she reflects on personal transitions, shifting identities, and the quiet grief that can come with even good change. Growth...

  16. [EP 46] You're Not Helping Your Team: How Leaders Accidentally Create Dependency

    Helping your team is part of leadership — but helping too much can quietly become rescuing, controlling, and even micromanaging. In this episode, Audrey explores the hidden leadership trap of stepping in too quickly, taking work back, smoothing things over, and calling it support. The real…

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  17. [EP 45] Signs You’re Overfunctioning as a Leader

    Some of the most exhausted leaders aren’t struggling because they’re incapable. They’re struggling because they’ve become responsible for everything. In this episode of Change Is Hard, Audrey explores the deeper emotional roots of overfunctioning in leadership — the patterns that look like high...

  18. [EP 44] Too Many Meetings, Not Enough Decisions: The Over-Alignment Loop

    In this episode, Audrey unpacks the hidden cost of over-alignment inside teams and organizations. What starts as healthy collaboration can quietly turn into: over-involvement excessive consensus endless processing and decision paralysis If you’ve ever sat through meetings only to realize nothing...

  19. [EP 43] Hourly vs Salary Mindset: Changing Pay Doesn't Change the Mindset

    You can change someone’s title. You can increase their pay. You can even move them from hourly to salary. And still… nothing changes. In this episode, Audrey breaks down the often-missed reality behind employee transitions: mindset doesn’t automatically shift just because the role does. Through a...

  20. [EP 42] You Don't Have a Time Problem. You Have a Focus Problem

    You Don’t Have a Time Problem. You Have a Focus Problem It feels like a time problem. Too much to do. Not enough hours. Everything feels important… and somehow nothing is actually moving forward. But what if that’s not the real issue? In this episode, we’re talking about what’s actually happening...

  21. [EP 41] Why Your Best People Don’t Want to Lead

    You’ve got someone on your team. They’re trusted. Reliable. The one everyone goes to. And naturally… you start thinking: they’re next. But when the opportunity comes up? They hesitate. Or they say no. In this episode, we’re unpacking what’s really going on—because this isn’t about a lack of...

  22. [EP 40] 3 Hidden Rules That Are Keeping You Small

    There are rules you’re following in your leadership… rules no one actually gave you. They sound helpful. They sound responsible. But over time, they can quietly begin to hold you back. In this episode, Audrey walks through three of the most common “unwritten rules” that show up in leadership: I...

  23. [EP 39] When Your Boss Is the Bottleneck

    You know exactly what needs to be done. You’re capable. You’re clear. You’re doing good work. And still… you can’t move forward. In this episode, Audrey explores a very specific kind of frustration that shows up in leadership and high-performing roles: when your ability to execute is dependent on...

  24. [EP 38] Feeling Lost After a Promotion? Here's Why

    There’s a shift in your career that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. It’s not when you’re struggling. It’s not when things are falling apart. It’s actually when everything looks… right. You’re doing well. People trust you. You’ve built a reputation. And then—you get the promotion....

  25. [EP 37] Clear is Kind: Why Your Expectations Go Unmet

    Disappointment at work rarely comes from people doing something wrong. More often, it comes from expectations that were never clearly stated. In this episode, Audrey unpacks one of the most common (and costly) leadership gaps: unclear expectations. From missed deliverables to quiet frustration…

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  26. [EP 36] The CLEAR Decision Framework: Don't Overthink Everyday Decisions

    Leaders make decisions all day long. But many of them get stuck—not because the decision is difficult, but because it feels like it carries more weight than it actually does. In this episode, Audrey Blair explores why leaders often treat everyday decisions like life-changing ones—and how that…

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  27. [EP 35] The Tough Stuff of Leadership with Lianne Lyne

    We talk a lot about resilience, grit, and pushing through. But what if leadership isn’t just about holding on tighter? In this episode, I’m joined by Lianne Lyne, CEO of Mind Tough, for a conversation about what real toughness looks like in leadership. We talk about discomfort, growth, critical...

  28. [EP 34] When Life Changes Faster Than You Do (And What to Do About It)

    At some point — and often at multiple points — life begins to change faster than we do. Roles shift. Energy changes. Relationships evolve. Identity gets shaken. In this episode, Audrey shares a new framework she developed after speaking to a community group navigating retirement, health...

  29. [EP 33] What a Leader Actually Does

    Episode 33: What a Leader Actually Does (And What They Don’t) We use the word leader all the time. Corporate leaders. Thought leaders. Team leaders. But what does a leader actually do? In this episode, Audrey simplifies leadership down to its core functions — not competencies, not personality...

  30. [EP 32] Why Being Busy Is a Form of Self-Soothing

    You’re not just busy. You might be self-soothing. In this episode, we explore a quiet but powerful truth: busyness can feel productive, responsible—even admirable—but sometimes it’s a way to avoid discomfort. If your calendar is always full… If slowing down makes you uneasy… If rest feels earned...

  31. [EP 31] What Kind of Leader Do You Want to Be?

    Episode 31: What Kind of Leader Do You Want to Be? Have you ever paused to define the kind of leader you want to be—not the one your title expects or your company rewards, but the one that reflects your values and vision? In this episode: The 3-word leadership motto that has shaped my journey Why...

  32. [EP 30] "I’ll Take Care of It" Is Killing Your Leadership—and Other Habits That Burn You Out

    If you ever find yourself working harder each day but not really moving the needle, feeling stretched thin by endless meetings, or stuck re-solving the same problems, you’re not alone—and you might be running on a path that leads straight to burnout. In today’s conversation, I’ll walk you through...

  33. [EP 29] Getting Financially Naked: Building Money Confidence with Amy Scott

    On this week's episode, Audrey talks with Amy Scott, a financial coach specializing in helping women and couples redefine their relationships with money. Amy shares how she transitioned from traditional financial advising to financial coaching to better align with her passion for holistic…

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  34. [EP 28] What's the Difference Between the Pain of Change and the Pain of Staying the Same?

    Not all pain is the same. In this episode, I’m inviting you to look at the discomfort you’ve grown used to—the kind that keeps you stuck. Because here’s the truth: change can hurt, yes. But so can staying exactly where you are. If you’ve been circling a decision, resisting a move, or telling...

  35. [EP 27] How Overthinking Is Keeping You Stuck and Costs More Than You Realize

    Feeling stuck? Chances are, you're actually overthinking. In this episode, I share insights into the hidden costs of indecision—not just financially, but emotionally and energetically, and the toll it takes on our confidence. You'll learn: Why overthinking feels productive but actually keeps you...

  36. [EP 26] You Can’t Read the Label From Inside the Bottle ... and Other Coaching Insights with Piper Watson

    In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and fellow coach, Piper Watson. Piper is a business coach for unconventional people, and we had such a rich conversation about what it really takes to make a pivot—whether that’s in your career, your business, or just in life. We talk about clarity…

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  37. [EP 25] That Inner Mean Voice That's Sabotaging Your Growth

    Episode 25: That Inner Mean Voice That’s Sabotaging Your Growth We all have that voice in our head—the one that whispers, critiques, and sometimes shouts us down. In this episode, I walk you through the cast of characters that make up your “Inner Mean Voice.” These are mental habits that once...

  38. [EP 24] Ditch the Drama: Building the Relationship You Want With Your Teens - with Jeanine Mouchawar

    In this rich and honest conversation, I sit down with Jeanine Mouchawar, a life coach for parents of teens, to explore how we can parent differently—especially during the high school years. Jeanine shares her personal journey, from struggling through chaos and disconnection with her kids to...

  39. [EP 23] Rearrange, Rethink, Reignite: How Reorganizing Shifts Your Perspective

    Have you ever walked into a space that just felt off? Maybe it was cluttered, stagnant, or just not inspiring anymore. That’s exactly how I felt about my office—until I decided to shake things up. What I didn’t expect was how much rearranging my physical space would open up my energy, creativity,...

  40. [EP 22] You Don’t Have to Quit Your Job to Pivot Your Career

    You Don’t Have to Quit Your Job to Pivot Your Career Think you need a big, dramatic career change to pivot? You don't. In this episode, I introduce the power of micro-pivots—small, intentional shifts in responsibilities, mindset, or projects that prepare you for your next big career move. You…

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  41. [EP 21] Good Stress vs Bad Stress

    Stress is often seen as the enemy, something to be avoided at all costs. But what if stress could actually work for you instead of against you? In this episode, I break down the difference between good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress) and share how you can harness stress to fuel your...

  42. [EP 20] Why Pivoting Feels Risky—And Strategies to Overcome It

    Breaking Through Mindset Barriers to Pivot with Confidence What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why pivoting feels risky and uncertain (and how to overcome the fear) The three biggest mindset blocks that keep leaders from making a move: How to reframe your fears and start seeing opportunities…

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  43. [EP 19] The Power of the Pivot: Making Bold Moves with Confidence

    Feeling stuck, uninspired, unclear on your future, or just “blah” about work? You’re not alone. Pivoting isn’t just about change—it’s about adapting, thriving, and making intentional moves toward a future that excites you. In this episode, I break down what pivoting really means, the signs that...

  44. [EP 18] Getting Your Dreams Out Of Storage with Kristen B. Hubler

    In this episode of Change Is Hard, I sit down with Kristen B. Hubler, change management expert and author of The Impossible Box. We discuss how to move past fear, redefine failure, and create a real roadmap to achieving those long-held dreams. Kristen shares her personal story of loss and...

  45. [EP 17] The 4 Ps of Leadership Influence

    In this episode of Change Is Hard, I’m diving into my Leadership Development Framework: The 4 Ps of Leadership Influence. These four pillars—Performance, Productivity, Promotability, and Pivot—are at the heart of what I teach my clients as they navigate their leadership journeys. Whether you’re...

  46. [EP 16] From Start to Strong: How to Reignite Your Fitness Journey

    In this episode of Change Is Hard, I sit down with endurance coach, triathlete, and marathon swimmer Amy Height to talk about rediscovering fitness, building resilience, and why showing up for yourself matters more than anything. Amy shares her personal story of transformation—from feeling stuck…

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  47. [EP 15] Navigating the Trust Continuum for Effective Leadership

    Hey there! I'm excited to bring you the latest episode of the "Change Is Hard" podcast. Today, I'm diving into the topic of trust and its critical role in leadership and team success. We'll explore the varying approaches to trust, from giving it freely to requiring it to be earned, and how each...

  48. [EP 14] Pole Pole: Sarah's Journey to the Summit of Kilimanjaro

    Welcome to Change Is Hard, where we delve into the challenges and triumphs of personal growth and transformation. In today's episode, we have an inspiring conversation with Sarah Shumway, who shares her incredible journey of ascending and descending Mount Kilimanjaro. From braving illness and...

  49. [EP 13] Getting Out of a Funk: My Journey to Finding Momentum and Mindset Alignment

    Feeling stuck? It happens to the best of us. In my latest podcast episode, I open up about finding myself in a bit of a funk and share some insights on how to break free. Listen to the full episode for a deeper dive into navigating a funk and finding your way back to productivity. Key takeaways...

  50. [EP 12] Finding Joy Through Sorrow: Interview with Jenni Hopkins

    Such an incredibly transformative conversation! Jenni shares her personal story through a deep, debilitating depression to finding her purpose and the value she can give to the world. There are so many great nuggets here that I hope you enjoy. The power of small steps Authenticity and…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

You don’t need productivity hacks. You need a new way of thinking.Change is Hard explores what it really takes to evolve in your leadership, your career, and yourself. Hosted by executive coach Audrey Blair, this podcast goes beyond surface advice and dives into identity shifts, executive presence, confidence, power, effective communication, and the uncomfortable conversations real growth demands.Growth isn’t about knowing more. It’s about becoming more.Because Change Is Hard ... And you can do hard things.

HOSTED BY

Audrey Blair

CATEGORIES

business careers

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Change Is Hard have?

Change Is Hard currently has 61 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Change Is Hard about?

You don’t need productivity hacks. You need a new way of thinking.Change is Hard explores what it really takes to evolve in your leadership, your career, and yourself. Hosted by executive coach Audrey Blair, this podcast goes beyond surface advice and dives into identity shifts, executive presence,...

How often does Change Is Hard release new episodes?

Change Is Hard has 61 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Change Is Hard?

You can listen to Change Is Hard on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Change Is Hard?

Change Is Hard is created and hosted by Audrey Blair.
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