The Conscious Edge Podcast: Redefining Wealth as a Whole Human Experience

You’re Invited to Podcast Club: Listeners of The Conscious Edge are coming together on Thursdays at 1pm ET for Podcast Club. Think book club, but for the podcast. We'll talk about the episodes, what landed, where it's challenging us, and how to actually apply it. It's a chance to meet other business owners, get into real two-way conversation, and stop just consuming content. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep110 Come say “hi’ on Instagram:@aleciastg Alecia St. Germain and her co-host Jonathan Dugger take on what actually makes change work inside a team, and it has very little to do with the process. In this month's Mindfulness Matters with Jonathan, they dig into why the phrase "change management" misses the point entirely, and what Amy Edmondson's psychological safety research uncovered when Google studied nearly 200 of its own teams through Project Aristotle. The highest performing teams in that study reported more failure than the ones anyone would have guessed were the safest bets, and they held onto their people while they did it. Alecia shares how the Immunity to Change process can be facilitated with a whole team, surfacing the big assumptions an organization runs on without ever naming them out loud. Jonathan makes the case for treating resistance as an opportunity to learn something no one has seen yet, and for letting grief have a place in professional conversations, because every change asks people to let go of something. They also get honest about what has been lost in business culture along the way, and why relational capacity is the one thing that cannot be outsourced to an algorithm. Solo entrepreneurs are not off the hook here either. A bookkeeper and the one person she calls when she needs to think out loud already add up to a team. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: -What shifts when you stop calling it change management and start calling it change navigation -What Amy Edmondson's psychological safety research found when Google studied nearly 200 of its own teams -Why the teams that reported the most failure were also the most effective and had almost no turnover -How uncertainty changes your brain chemistry and shuts down the exact capacities you are asking your people to use -Why matching the right person to the right task matters far less than you have been told -How the Immunity to Change process can be facilitated with a whole team to surface the assumptions running your culture -Why grief belongs in change conversations, even the professional ones -What becomes possible when you treat someone's resistance as an opportunity rather than an obstacle

Every time you tuck a good idea away for when you have more capacity, you give it the chance to go find someone else to bring it to life.   If this episode landed, come talk it through with me at Podcast Club. Most weeks we get on Zoom together and turn the podcast into a real conversation with other women who are building real businesses and playing the same game you are. It is like book club without the hangover and the gossip. Pick a date and RSVP at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep114 Come say “hi’ on Instagram:@aleciastg In this solo episode, Alecia St. Germain reframes the anxiety so many business owners carry around money and the decisions they make in their business. It started with a question she posed to her clients, one that landed hard: are you playing to win, or are you playing not to lose? From there, Alecia explores what shifts when you stop making decisions to protect yourself from the bad things you fear and start making decisions that move you toward your vision. Using a sports analogy that runs through the whole episode, she walks through knowing the real risks of the game you are playing and protecting yourself appropriately, the difference between being attached to winning and being invested in it, and why everything tends to feel most intense right before a breakthrough. She connects it all back to the big assumption running underneath your patterns, the one your nervous system built long ago to keep you safe, and how becoming aware of it changes the way you play. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: -Why protecting yourself from every possible bad outcome can become the very thing that keeps you from making money -How to tell whether you are wearing the right amount of protection for the risk you are actually taking on -The difference between being attached to winning and being invested in it, and why attachment wears down your performance -What to do with the fear that lingers after a loss, a bad deal, or a market shift you did not see coming -Why the intensity that shows up right before a breakthrough is not a signal that this is not for you -How the big assumption you formed years ago can pull you off course right as you reach for your next level -Why the time and money you think you are missing tend to fall into place once your alignment, your emotions, and your leadership are handled

Too many business owners are paying everyone in their business except themselves, and somewhere along the way they stopped asking why.  Podcast Club is where the conversation continues. If this stirred up questions about your own pay, I would love to keep talking. Come hang out in the Podcast Club, a free community that meets most Thursdays. You can join us at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep113 Instagram:@aleciastg You built this business. So why does it pay everyone but you? For a lot of women, owner pay is the problem they have stopped questioning. There's payroll, there are contractors, there are a dozen things that have to happen before there's anything left, and somewhere in there their own pay became the lever they pull whenever money gets tight. For others it runs the other way. The business did well, the lifestyle leveled up to match, and now there's a number they have to hit every month or the whole thing wobbles. In this month's Monthly Money Talk, Alecia St. Germain sits down with fractional CFO and financial strategist Jenn Baas to look honestly at both. What owner pay actually is, how to tell whether your business can really afford you, and the simple financial-plan math that shows where your money is going. They also go underneath the numbers, to the big assumption that keeps an owner underpaying herself even when the business could support her, and the entitlement that can creep in on the other side. This one is warm, practical, and a little bit of a permission slip to look at the number you have been avoiding. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode you'll discover: - What owner pay actually means, from salary to draws to distributions, and why how you pay yourself matters less than whether you do -Why most owners pay everyone else first and reach for their own pay as the lever they pull when money gets tight -The simple financial-plan math that tells you whether your business can really afford you, and where the money is actually going -The big assumption hiding under "there's just never enough left for me," and why more strategy won't move it on its own -What overpaying yourself looks like, and how leveling up your lifestyle too fast can leave your business fragile when the market shifts -Why "if I'm working this hard, it has to be worth it" deserves a closer look before it sets your salary -How emotional capacity, not just the numbers, decides whether you can hold and enjoy what you have built

Every time you tuck a good idea away for when you have more capacity, you give it the chance to go find someone else to bring it to life.   If you've got an idea you keep telling yourself you don't have the capacity for, come test that thinking out loud with me at Podcast Club. It's free, it meets most Thursdays, and it's there to connect you with people doing this same work. RSVP at consciousedge.com/club and tell me the date that works for you.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep112 Come say “hi’ on Instagram:@aleciastg You have the idea. You can see it clearly. And then you start adding up everything it would take to do it right, the time, the money, the build, the proper way you know it should be set up, and somewhere in that math you decide you don't have the capacity for it right now. So you tuck it away. In this solo episode, Alecia St. Germain offers a different way through. She shares the moment Podcast Club arrived in her head in the shower, right in the middle of deer-damaged cars, a leaking camper, and a conference she was about to leave for, and how she chose to test it in the clunkiest, easiest way she could instead of waiting until she had the capacity to do it perfectly. Forgotten Zoom link and all. You'll hear why your own expertise can be the very thing keeping your best ideas stuck, what it looks like to test something without risking too much time or money, and how letting it be good enough is often what finally moves it into the world.  📝 What We Cover in This Episode: -Why your best ideas lose momentum the further you get from the moment they arrived, and what Big Magic gets right about acting fast -How being the expert in the room can keep you from testing the very ideas you believe in -The clunky, low-risk way Alecia tests every new idea before she spends real time or money on it -Why letting something be a version 1.0 frees you to actually get it out the door -How perfectionism is often less about the outcome and more about protecting yourself from what others might think -What it looks like to feel anger and still lead with compassion when someone won't own a mistake -The one question to ask yourself when you catch yourself making an idea harder than it needs to be

You keep waiting to get back to solid ground before you ask for help, when reaching for help is usually what gets you there.  You’re Invited to Podcast Club: I’d love to keep the conversation going with you by inviting you to Podcast Club on Thursdays at 1pm ET.   Think book club, but for the podcast.  It’s a way to deepen the conversation and engage in authentic dialogue with other business owners. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep111 Come say “hi’ on Instagram:@aleciastg In this episode of The Conscious Edge podcast, Alecia St. Germain calls out a pattern she watched play out over and over at a recent conference for women building wealth. There are two moments an entrepreneur tends to reach for support. One feels like an easy yes, the season when things are working and she is ready to scale. The other feels vulnerable and risky, the season when something is not working, debt may be building, and she has convinced herself she has to climb out of the hole on her own before she is allowed to ask for help. Alecia walks through the questions she asks women sitting in that harder season, the scarcity thinking and big assumptions that keep them stuck, and why the shame of "I should have this figured out by now" is often the real thing standing in the way.  📝 What We Cover in This Episode: -The two seasons when entrepreneurs reach for support, and why one feels like an easy yes while the other feels terrifying -Why waiting until you are "back to center" to get help often keeps you in the hole longer -The two questions to ask yourself first when a big investment in support feels like a risk -How debt in your business is often a band-aid for a big assumption you have not named yet -Why believing you have to know it all or you're a fraud is keeping you from getting paid for what you already know -The reframe that makes spending on the right support feel like an accelerator rather than one more cost -Why the thing actually blocking you is usually shame, and what becomes possible the moment you stop carrying it

You can do everything right, follow every system, hire every coach, and still build a business that doesn't feel like yours, because no strategy can outrun what's out of alignment with your values.  You’re Invited to Podcast Club: Listeners of The Conscious Edge are coming together on Thursdays at 1pm ET for Podcast Club. Think book club, but for the podcast. We'll talk about the episodes, what landed, where it's challenging us, and how to actually apply it. It's a chance to meet other business owners, get into real two-way conversation, and stop just consuming content. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep110 Come say “hi’ on Instagram:@aleciastg Most entrepreneurs have done some version of values work. You have a why, a mission, a set of words on a page. And then somewhere along the way, following a coach here, a strategy there, a system everyone swore by, you look up and realize the business you built doesn't look much like the one you actually wanted. In this Mindfulness Matters conversation, Alecia St. Germain and her longtime business partner Jonathan Dugger go past the surface of values work and into what keeps you connected to it. They get into why values evolve as you grow, how money amplifies whatever is already running underneath you (your purpose and your self-protection patterns alike), and the difference between a value that's truly yours and one you're holding onto to feel safe. Alecia also opens up the soul purpose work she's trained in, and Jonathan shares how his own reading turned years of self-imposed pressure into something much closer to joy. Together they offer a grounded way back to alignment, including the STOP practice and a handful of questions you can return to anytime your business starts to feel out of sync with who you are. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: -Why following someone else's system or strategy can pull you off course when it isn't built around your values -How your values evolve as you grow, and why it's worth redefining them on a regular basis -The difference between a true value and a self-protection value, and how people-pleasing can disguise itself as kindness -Why money amplifies whatever is already there, both your purpose and your hidden assumptions -What soul purpose work is, and how a single reframe can turn pressure into joy -The STOP practice (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) for checking alignment before you act -A few simple journaling questions for a quarterly values check-in -Why your time and money struggles often ease once you tend to the deeper capacities first

You've been told to delegate, outsource, and get help, so why does it still feel faster to just do it yourself?  Want help deciding what stays and what goes? Alecia's free Capacity Decision Guide walks every task and obligation in your business and life through the same decision tree from this episode, so you can put down what was never yours to carry. Grab it at consciousedge.com/decision.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep109 Instagram → @aleciastg Alecia St. Germain knows this story well, because she lived it for years. The belief that once this project wraps, she'll finally have time for what matters most. Then the next busy thing arrived, the business started to feel heavy, and her body wore out. She found her way out of that pattern, and now she helps other business owners do the same. In this solo episode, Alecia shares the tool she built for that exact moment: the Capacity Decision Guide. It's a simple decision tree that takes any task or obligation and sorts it into one of five outcomes. Release it, outsource it, delegate it, lead it, or grow into it. She talks through why so many entrepreneurs keep doing everything themselves, why outsourcing and delegating are not the same thing, and why confusing the two is so often the reason a past hire fell apart. And she's honest about what doing it all alone really costs, from a ceiling on income to the stress and burnout the body takes on along the way. This episode is for any business owner who already knows they're handling too much on their own, and is ready to take on the challenge of doing something different. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: – The story you keep telling yourself, and why the time you're waiting for never comes -The five things you can do with anything on your plate, and how to know which one fits -Why doing it all yourself means you're 100% limited by your own capacity, and what that does to your body over time -The real difference between outsourcing and delegating, and why mixing them up is often why a past hire didn't stick -How "I don't have the capacity" is usually a leadership and boundaries conversation underneath -What it takes to grow into the work that scares you, instead of pushing it to the back corner

You can build a successful business and still feel it carrying you away from the life you built it for.  Loved this conversation? You don't have to wait until Tuesday to talk about it. Podcast Club is where the conversation continues. It's an intimate space to go deeper on the episodes, share what's landing, ask the questions you're sitting with, and connect with others who are doing this work alongside you. Think of it like a book club for The Conscious Edge Podcast. We meet most Thursday’s at 1:00pm ET. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep108 Instagram:@aleciastg In this episode, Alecia pulls back the curtain on Jenn Baas’s life, the financial strategist behind Monthly Money Talks with Zen Jenn. What looks like fast, easy success is actually a slower, more honest story. A first business that failed. An injury that ended the career she thought was her dream. And the moment she realized the thing she loved most had started to steal her joy, because she'd never stopped to ask whether it was building the life she actually wanted. This is a conversation about what makes success sustainable once you've already built something. Knowing your numbers instead of blindly following passion. Growing slowly and on purpose instead of chasing growth for its own sake. And asking the one question that changes everything. Is what I'm doing leading me toward who I want to be, or away from it? 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode you'll discover: - The one question that tells you whether your business is leading you toward the life you want or away from it -Why the success that looks effortless from the outside is almost always built on a slower, more honest story -The hidden cost of turning the thing you love into the way you make money, and how to protect the joy before it slips away -Why growing slowly and on purpose can be more powerful than chasing the next level of scale -How holding a boundary, yes, even a wait list, can be one of the most strategic moves you make -Why so much of your sustainable success comes down to your financial foundation and how you lead, not the next marketing tactic -How to stop letting the year happen to you and start feeling steady, not afraid, when you look at your money

If you've been quietly wondering whether buying a business might be your next move, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it actually looks like, six months in.  Loved this conversation? You don't have to wait until Tuesday to talk about it. Podcast Club is where the conversation continues. It's an intimate space to go deeper on the episodes, share what's landing, ask the questions you're sitting with, and connect with others who are doing this work alongside you. Think of it like a book club for The Conscious Edge Podcast. We meet most Thursday’s at 1:00pm ET. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep107 Find Alecia on Instagram:@aleciastg In this episode, Alecia turns the mic on her longtime partner in crime, Jonathan Dugger, to talk about something that’s a growing trend right now: buying a business instead of building one from scratch. With the largest transfer of wealth in history underway and so many baby boomer owners ready to retire, there's a unique window of opportunity, and Jonathan walks through what he actually learned navigating it. The parameters he set, the businesses he passed on, the customer he was certain would be his (and wasn't), and the moment he and his partner Kyle stopped forcing the square peg and shifted gears entirely.  If you've ever caught yourself wondering whether there's a way to grow without starting from zero, or if you're already in the middle of a business purchase and need permission to do it on your own timeline, this episode is for you.  📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode on buying a business, we discuss: -Why this moment is one of the most unique windows in history for buying a small business and what's actually driving it -The specific parameters Jonathan set before he started looking (and why getting clear on these saves you years of looking at the wrong opportunities) -Why an "obvious fit" customer might not actually be your customer and what to do when you figure that out -How value alignment quietly becomes the deciding factor in whether a business actually works for you long term -The role a fractional CFO plays in the due diligence process and the questions Zen Jenn asked that helped Jonathan walk away from the wrong deals -Why giving yourself a runway instead of forcing instant success can be the difference between sustainable growth and burnout -The unexpected blind spots in the first six months and what Jonathan would do differently -Why the best opportunity often shows up while you're looking for something else entirely

For a lot of entrepreneurs, sitting still feels wrong. You might even find yourself jumping up to look busy the second you hear someone coming. This episode is about the programming running underneath that, and how to approach productivity with a little more mindfulness.  You’re Invited to Podcast Club: Starting in June, listeners of The Conscious Edge are coming together on Thursdays at 1pm ET for Podcast Club. Think book club, but for the podcast. We'll talk about the episodes, what landed, where it's challenging us, and how to actually apply it. It's a chance to meet other business owners, get into real two-way conversation, and stop just consuming content. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep106 Instagram:@aleciastg In this Mindfulness Matters conversation, Alecia and Jonathan unpack why our culture has trained us to equate busyness with worth, what mindful productivity actually looks like in real life, and why the productivity hacks you keep Googling never seem to stick. They get into the research that says 90 minutes of focused work outperforms six hours of distracted effort, why office workers switch tasks roughly 70 times a day without realizing it, and the 333 method that gives you a usable structure for deep work without the all-or-nothing crash. This is the episode for the entrepreneur who's been operating in summer mode for years, who knows they’re depleting themselves, and who hasn't been able to figure out why the focus and follow-through they used to have feels so far away. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode on mindful productivity, you'll discover: -Why busyness and productivity are not the same thing, and the cultural conditioning that taught you to confuse them -The research showing 90 minutes of focused work equals roughly six hours of distracted effort -Why most professionals switch tasks every one to three minutes (around 70 times a day) without even noticing -The 333 method from Oliver Burkeman's 4000 Weeks: three hours of deep work, three urgent tasks, three maintenance items -How to set up Do Not Disturb so you stop letting your phone run your nervous system -Why the productivity hacks you've Googled don't work, and what's actually underneath the resistance -How curiosity without judgment is the real shift, not a tighter schedule -Two books to go deeper: 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and Deep Work by Cal Newport

The decisions you're not only as a business owner, but in life in general, are costing you more than any wrong decision ever could.  You’re Invited to Podcast Club: Starting in June, listeners of The Conscious Edge are coming together on Thursdays at 1pm ET for Podcast Club. Think book club, but for the podcast. We'll talk about the episodes, what landed, where it's challenging us, and how to actually apply it. It's a chance to meet other business owners, get into real two-way conversation, and stop just consuming content. RSVP for the dates you want at consciousedge.com/club.  If you're a real estate investor and ready to be in a room with women who are doing the work, Alecia will be teaching her framework, The Now Advantage, at InvestHer Con in Scottsdale, Arizona, June 14 to 16. It's her favorite conference of the year. Join her there: https://therealestateinvesther.com/investhercon  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep105 Instagram:@aleciastg In this episode, Alecia is sharing her recent conversation on The Real Estate InvestHer Podcast (Episode 588) with hosts Andresa Guidelli and Liz Faircloth. The three of them go deep on the real cost of indecision for capable, high-functioning women, the story behind the decisions Alecia and her husband made (and didn't make) during the 2008 downturn, and what's different about her business, her marriage, and her capacity now. They also cover what The Great Wealth Transfer means for women in real estate right now, the conversations Alecia is having with aging parents to preserve generational wealth, why money is an amplifier rather than the source of the dysfunction, and a first look at The Now Advantage, the framework she's teaching at InvestHer Con in June. It's a real, honest conversation between three women who have lived this work, made the hard calls, and aren't pretending they had it figured out the first time.  📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode, you'll discover: -Why indecision is one of the biggest capacity drains for capable women, and what it's quietly costing you in time, presence, and opportunity -What Alecia learned from the decisions she and her husband made (and missed) during the 2008 downturn, and what she has now that she didn't have at 28 -How to navigate hard money conversations with aging parents around wealth preservation and generational transfer -Why money is an amplifier, not the source of the dysfunction, and what that means for your next financial decision -The difference between liking the idea of financial freedom and actually deciding to build it -How to tell whether you're at an event for genuine connection and education, or whether you're the product being sold to -A first look at The Now Advantage, the framework Alecia is teaching at InvestHer Con -Why making a decision and then making it right is more powerful than waiting for the certainty that's never coming

If your numbers are dipping and you're panicking that you must be doing something wrong, the dip might not be the problem you think it is.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep104 Instagram:@aleciastg If this episode landed and you're tired of running your business reactively every time your numbers shift, the next step is a Capacity Assessment Call. We'll look at where you actually are financially, where the panic is coming from, and what it would take to make a slow season feel like a season instead of an emergency.  Book yours at consciousedge.com/capacity.  You know the feeling. Revenue is down. What was working isn't working as well. And before you can even think about what to do, your brain has already decided you must be doing something wrong. You're not. Businesses cycle. The way real estate cycles. The way the stock market cycles. The dip is often the nature of running a business in a real economy. In this Monthly Money Talks, Alecia and her financial strategist Jenn Baas of Peak to Peak Solutions get into what's in your control when the market shifts, how much cash to actually keep on hand, the peace tax, and why adaptability matters more than stability if you want to still be in business ten years from now. If you've ever felt the panic of an unexpected slow season and wondered if you should be doing something different, this conversation will reset what a slow season actually means. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode you'll discover: -Why a revenue dip is often a cycle, not proof you've broken something -How the real estate market parallel explains what your business is actually doing -Why a financial capacity plan can turn a stressful, unexpected expense into a non-event -What's in your control when the market shifts and what isn't -Why adaptability matters more than stability if you want to be in business long-term -What the peace tax is and why minimizing every dollar of taxes can cost you sleep -How much cash Jenn actually recommends keeping on hand for the unpredictable -Why making cuts is sometimes the healthiest move for the business, not a sign you failed

Perfectionists and the kids who didn't even prepare got the same test scores, and that should change how you think about your business.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep103 Instagram:@aleciastg If you saw yourself in this episode, the next step is a conversation. Book your Capacity Assessment Call at consciousedge.com/capacity.  After volunteering at her daughter's Science Olympiad state competition, Alecia spent hours grading tests and noticed three distinct patterns. The perfectionists who only answered questions they were absolutely certain about, leaving entire sections blank. The kids who showed up unprepared and just guessed at everything. And the top performers who came prepared, knew their material, and still answered every single question even when they had to take a swing at it. The part that should wake you up: the perfectionists and the kids who didn't prepare at all scored about the same. Joined by her regular co-host Jonathan Dugger, Alecia unpacks what this dynamic looks like in business. Why perfectionism is actually a strategy for avoiding failure disguised as high standards. What it's costing the capable business owners who've been telling themselves their carefulness is a strength. And why it's never too late to start retraining the brain to take small, intentional risks without being so attached to the outcome. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode on mindfulness for business owners, you'll discover: -Why perfectionism isn't actually about being perfect, and what it really is -The three patterns Alecia noticed grading her daughter's Science Olympiad tests, and what they reveal about how people run their businesses -Why being decisive sometimes beats not answering at all -What perfectionism is costing you in fun, joy, and actual results -Why criticism keeps you stuck and curiosity keeps you moving -How to retrain your brain to take small, intentional risks without being attached to the outcome -Why it's never too late to unlearn the patterns you picked up in middle school

Mindfulness has become a business buzzword, and a lot of what's being sold to leaders under that label isn't actually mindfulness at all.  Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep102 Instagram:@aleciastg If this conversation has you rethinking how you show up as a leader in the moments that matter most, the next step is a conversation. Book your Capacity Assessment Call at consciousedge.com/capacity.  Mindfulness has become a top-searched wellness term and a growing line item in corporate training budgets. According to Jonathan Dugger, a lot of what's being sold to business owners and leaders under that label isn't actually mindfulness at all. In this Mindfulness Matters conversation, Alecia and Jonathan unpack what mindfulness really is, why the marketed version can erode trust with your team, and how to tell the difference as a business owner trying to lead well.  The episode takes a turn when Jonathan gets heated about how mindfulness is being commodified, and then demonstrates in real time exactly what the practice looks like when it's working. You'll hear what he calls "McMindfulness," why mindfulness is not about being positive and not a cure for anything, and what it actually is: a daily practice of non-judgment, curiosity, and staying in alignment with who you are. If mindfulness has started to feel like a wellness buzzword you can't quite trust, this is the conversation that cuts through the noise.  📝 What We Cover in This Episode: In this episode on mindfulness for business owners, you'll discover: -What mindfulness actually is as a leader, beyond the Instagram version of it -How to tell a real mindfulness practice from a marketed one, and why discernment matters when you're choosing what to bring into your business -What "McMindfulness" is and why it's quietly eroding trust inside corporate culture -Why companies with true mindfulness practices have lower attrition and stronger retention -Why mindfulness is not about being positive, and why that was the unlock moment of this episode -The difference between mindfulness and nervous system regulation, and how they work together in how you lead -Starter tools you can try today in three to five minutes, no candles required -Why no one is a master of mindfulness, and why that reframes how you build a sustainable business

If you’re the kind of leader who feels deeply responsible for the wellbeing of your clients, your team, and the people you love, this episode is going to call out something you’ve been living without even realizing it. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep101 Instagram → @aleciastg There is a version of responsibility that serves people beautifully. And there is a version that dismantles you, your business, and ultimately your ability to help anyone at all. In this episode, Alecia St. Germain unpacks the difference. She gets into why keeping the wrong employee too long, undercharging because you feel bad, holding back from visibility out of fear of causing harm, and carrying more than your share at home are not acts of generosity. They are patterns of over-responsibility that hold everyone around you smaller than they are, and drain resources your business can’t run without. If you have ever wondered whether taking care of yourself and your business first is selfish, this episode will answer that question clearly. Hint: it isn’t. It’s how you help more people. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: – Why feeling deeply responsible for your clients’ results, your team’s wellbeing, and the people you love can quietly paralyze your business growth – How over-responsibility shows up as undercharging, over-functioning, avoiding visibility, and keeping the wrong people too long – Why sacrificing yourself doesn’t protect the people around you. It holds them smaller than they actually are – The real math on why your business surviving is the most generous leadership decision you can make – What it looks like to hold people accountable for their own results while still leading with deep compassion – How to stop carrying what belongs to others without abandoning the people you care about – Why your business sustainability is not optional if you want to keep showing up and serving at a high level – What changes when you stop over-functioning, for your clients, your team, and the relationships that matter most If today’s episode named something you’ve been carrying, come find me on Instagram at @aleciastg and tell me what landed. And if you’re ready to figure out where you’re leaking capacity and what it would look like to build a business that actually fits your life, the next step is a Capacity Assessment Call. Book yours at consciousedge.com/capacity.

Struggle isn't evidence that something is broken. It's evidence that something matters. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep100 It's time to stop spiraling and start building from a different place. The next step is a conversation. Book your Capacity Assessment Call at consciousedge.com/capacity. This is Episode 100 of The Conscious Edge, and for this milestone conversation, Alecia St. Germain and co-host Jonathan Dugger are unpacking one of the most damaging thought errors she's seeing in the women she works with right now: the belief that struggle means failure. That if something is harder than expected, if things aren't going smoothly, if uncomfortable feelings are showing up, then you must be doing something wrong. In a culture shaped by curated social media, pop positivity, and generations of wanting to shield ourselves and our children from discomfort, this belief has become almost invisible. And it's costing people dearly. This episode names it, traces where it comes from, and offers something more honest and more useful in its place. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: - Why the thought "if I'm struggling, I must be failing" is a thought error, not a truth, and how to start recognizing it in real time -Where this belief actually comes from: cultural, religious, social media, and even parenting patterns that have been building for generations -Why shielding yourself (or your kids) from discomfort doesn't create safety, it shrinks your capacity for joy too -What the hero's journey, Buddhist philosophy, and good psychology all agree on when it comes to struggle -How to break the cycle using curiosity instead of judgment, and why that one shift changes everything -Why self-compassion is uncomfortable on purpose, and why that doesn't mean you're doing it wrong -What to do if you're so stuck in the story that you can't even hear the people trying to help you I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram at @aleciastg and tell me where struggle has been showing up in your business or your life.

Debt can be a strategy or it can be a hiding place. This Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn will help you tell the difference ❓Have a question for Monthly Money Talks? Send your question to me in a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg.  Your question may be featured in an upcoming  with Zen Jenn. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep099 If this episode raised a question you are not sure how to answer, the best next step is a conversation.  Book a Capacity Assessment Call at consciousedge.com/capacity Alecia St. Germain and her fractional CFO and  financial strategist Jenn Baas go straight to one of the most charged words in business: debt. Not to tell you it is bad. Not to say use it freely. To ask the question that actually matters, which is what is it doing for you, and what is it helping you avoid? From the client who used debt to sidestep difficult conversations, to the entrepreneur who keeps adding lines of credit instead of fixing what is fundamentally broken, Alecia and Jenn unpack the mindset underneath the money. They talk about when debt is a powerful strategic tool, how to know if you are using it from abundance or from scarcity, what Jenn calls the peace tax, and why the pain of where you are has to become greater than the pain of change before anything actually shifts. Real, practical, and surprisingly personal, this one will make you look at your own relationship with debt a little differently. 📝 What We Cover: -When debt is a legitimate business tool and the specific conditions that make it strategic -The dangerous comfort of debt, and how it can insulate you from the pain that would actually motivate change -Why staying stuck is not a discipline problem; it is a pain threshold problem -The big assumption one client uncovered that was driving her to use debt as a way to avoid discomfort and difficult conversations -Scarcity disguised as abundance thinking, and how to tell the difference -What Jenn calls the peace tax, and why how debt makes you feel is part of the financial equation -How Alecia used her own budget and plan to say no to a certification she genuinely wanted, without regret -What compassionate leadership has to do with holding clients and colleagues accountable for money owed

Almost a hundred episodes in, Alecia St. Germain finally says out loud the part of her work she has been carrying for a very long time. In one of her most personal episodes yet, Alecia St. Germain finally gives the soul pillar of her company, The Conscious Edge, a methodology and a name out loud. She shares what soul purpose is, where it comes from, and what happened when she stopped doing everything by the book and started paying attention to her soul instead. That's when the map encoded in her birth name finally made sense. She walks through her own chart. The codes that explained her early career rise, her lost voice, her debt, and her path back to alignment. And she makes the case for why the soul piece so many entrepreneurs hold privately is the piece that changes everything when it finally gets to belong in the work. Curious what a soul purpose chart actually looks like? It’s posted in the show notes at consciousedge.com/ep098 with a full breakdown of what it all means Let’s connect on Instagram → @aleciastg 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: 🔯What soul purpose is and why it has never had a public home until this episode 🔯The Sefer Yetzirah, the ancient text at the root of this methodology, and its connection to Moses 🔯How your birth name encodes your gifts, challenges, goals, and soul purpose 🔯What my own chart revealed about my coaching, my seasonal planning, and the worthiness wounds I had to work through 🔯Why soul purpose and Immunity to Change coaching work together so powerfully 🔯What it means to bring your faith into your business without making it a label in your marketing 🔯What is available inside the Exponential Entrepreneur right now, and what is coming

If you're still doing your own books — or handing them off and never looking at them again — this Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn will change how you think about what your finances are really costing you. ❓Have a question for Monthly Money Talks? Send your question to me in a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg.  Your question may be featured in an upcoming episode with Zen Jenn. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep097 Ready to get connected to your business finances? Book a Capacity Assessment Call at consciousedge.com/capacity Alecia sits down with fractional CFO and financial strategist Jenn Baas for March's Monthly Money Talk.  This month, they're digging into something that comes up all the time with women entrepreneurs: accounting software. Not the fun part of running a business, but one of the most important. They talk through QuickBooks vs. spreadsheets, what to look for in a bookkeeper, and what it really means to be connected to your numbers. Because staying disconnected isn't just inconvenient, it's draining your energy and limiting your growth. 📝 What We Cover: Is bookkeeping software worth the cost? We break down what you're really paying for and what it's costing you to go without it QuickBooks vs. spreadsheets vs. other software: what to look for, what to avoid, and why owning your financial data matters The real cost of DIY bookkeeping: how doing it yourself drains your time and energy and limits your growth Bookkeeper red flags and how to protect yourself: why checks and balances aren't optional, even when you trust your provider Where to start when it all feels like too much: the "pick three" approach to better financial health without fixing everything at once

You can be profitable and still be burning down your health. You can hit your goals and ignore the exhaustion. You can tell yourself it’s just a busy season while your sleep declines, your focus slips, and your body starts sending signals you don’t want to look at. Most business owners don’t lose their health overnight. They trade it away in small, reasonable decisions that feel productive in the moment. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep096 Instagram → @aleciastg In this episode, Alecia St. Germain shares her deeply personal experience and why she’s imploring you to reframe your health as your most important responsibility, not a luxury. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: The subtle sacrifices that feel disciplined but erode your health Why “in range” lab results are not the same as optimal functioning How sleep impacts your brain, decision-making, and long-term capacity How ambition can override your body’s warning signs The midlife shifts many women ignore or dismiss What stewardship of your body actually looks like in real life ▶️Press play and take a hard look at what you’ve been trading for progress. After you do, come connect with me on Instagram @aleciastg and tell me what you’re currently trying to figure out when it comes to prioritizing your health while building your business. I want to hear what you’re navigating.

You’ve been told to work hard, max out your retirement accounts, and wait until 59½ to access the life you’re building toward. But what if that timeline doesn’t actually fit the life you want? Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep095 Instagram → @aleciastg In this episode, Alecia St. Germain sits down with fund manager and real estate investor Lisa Moore to explore what most people are not taught about investing, retirement access, and building time freedom earlier. You’ll hear how real estate can shift your relationship with income, risk, and retirement age. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: Why many people do not realize they can invest outside traditional retirement accounts How “passive income” actually works in real estate The difference between perceived risk and managed risk What it means to build income you can access before retirement age How to think about mini-retirements instead of waiting decades This episode is especially relevant if you are building wealth but feel unsure whether the traditional path fits your goals. Connect with Lisa Moore: https://investwithlisamore.com Instagram → @moredoorswithlisa 👉🏻Press play and listen now.

If you’ve ever reacted in a way you later regretted, before you even realized you were angry, this episode will help you hold anger without letting it take control.  For many leaders, anger doesn’t look explosive.  It shows up as frustration, impatience, control, or pulling away. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep094 Instagram → @aleciastg In this episode, Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger explore how anger can become a powerful force for clarity and change when it’s met with awareness and how mindfulness helps leaders respond instead of react. 📝 What We Cover in This Episode: Why anger is a natural biological response, not an unacceptable emotion to be stuffed down or dismissed How awareness interrupts reaction before regret sets in The difference between anger that sharpens leadership and anger that damages trust A simple mindfulness practice to create space before action ▶️ If this episode sparked new questions about how you lead under pressure, DM them to me on Instagram (@aleciastg) and we’ll add them to a future episode.

❓Have a question for Monthly Money Talks? Send your question to me in a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg.  Your question may be featured in an upcoming episode with Zen Jenn. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep093 If budgeting makes you tense, avoid your numbers, or feel boxed in, you’re not alone. In this Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn, I’m joined by financial strategist Jenn Baas to explore why budgeting often feels restrictive for business owners and how to approach it in a way that actually supports growth. This conversation offers a grounded reframe of budgeting as a leadership tool, one that helps you make clearer decisions, reduce financial stress, and build a business that feels steady instead of reactive. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1️⃣Why Budgeting Triggers Resistance: Many entrepreneurs associate budgeting with loss of freedom or past financial pressure. Understanding this reaction is the first step to changing your relationship with money. 2️⃣Clarity Creates Calm Leadership: When you have a simple financial plan, you’re less likely to make emotional or rushed decisions. Budgeting can create relief, not rigidity. 3️⃣A Financial Plan Supports Capacity, Not Control: Approached intentionally, budgeting helps you decide what to focus on, what to release, and how to grow without overextending yourself. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 92: Why January Goal-Setting Doesn’t Work (and What to Do Instead) Ep 89: Disordered Growth vs. Growing Pains (Monthly Money Talks) Ep 83: Financial Capacity: The Wealth Shift From Proving to Purposeful Growth  Connect with Jenn Baas:Jenn is an Outsourced CFO with over 15 years of experience helping small businesses bring ease, clarity, and strategic insight to their financial operations. She joins me each month for Monthly Money Talks with Zen Jenn and leads the Financial Leadership Labs inside The Exponential Entrepreneur. To explore Jenn’s external CFO services, visit: peaktopeaksolutions.com To work with Jenn inside The Exponential Entrepreneur, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening so you never miss a Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn. Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to support clear communication, guilt-free boundaries, and compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us:To explore The Exponential Entrepreneur or learn more about working together, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for outcomes resulting from the use of information shared on this podcast or on our websites. This content is not personal, medical, or mental health advice. Please consult qualified medical and mental health professionals as needed. All investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk, and use of this information is at the listener’s discretion.

Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep092 If January left you feeling tired, unmotivated, or quietly resistant to goal-setting, this episode offers a deeply relieving reframe. What if nothing is wrong with you and the issue is the calendar you’ve been trying to force yourself into? This episode explores why the traditional January-based planning model often creates burnout, resistance, and misalignment and what to do instead. Before we dive in, let me be clear.  The perspective I’m sharing challenges a widely accepted way of planning and leading. I’m not rejecting structure or ambition.  I’ve built my business inside that model. But I’ve come to believe it’s incomplete. So if you’re willing to hear me out, this conversation may put language to something you’ve already been feeling. In this solo episode, I share a compassionate, grounded approach to leadership that honors natural energy cycles instead of hustle-culture timelines. I invite you to rethink the January-to-December model and explore Seasonal Capacity Planning as a more sustainable, human way to lead, plan, and grow. This episode is especially for high-achieving, Type A leaders who feel deeply connected to nature but want structure, strategy, and logic. This isn’t about doing less or playing small. It’s about applying discipline and effort at the right time. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: January Fatigue Isn’t a Personal Failure, It’s a Seasonal Mismatch: Winter is biologically designed for rest, integration, and vision, not aggressive execution. Forcing productivity during a low-energy season drains capacity instead of building it. Seasonal Capacity Planning Creates Better Results, Not Less Ambition: By aligning planning, visibility, experimentation, and growth with the seasons, you increase creativity, focus, and sustainable output. Compassionate Leadership Means Honoring Timing Without Avoiding Responsibility: This approach isn’t passive or indulgent. It’s intentional, strategic leadership that balances accountability with humanity, allowing you to grow without being violent toward yourself. 🎧 Podcast Episodes Related to This One That Might Interest You: Ep 89: Disordered Growth vs. Growing Pains (Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn) Ep 86: Relational Capacity – Boundaries That Build Trust & Compassionate Leadership Ep 85: Time Capacity – Reclaim Your Time & Focus on What Truly Matters Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to support clear communication, guilt-free boundaries, and compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us: To explore The Exponential Entrepreneur or learn more about working together, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for outcomes resulting from the use of information shared on this podcast or on our websites. This content is not personal, medical, or mental health advice. Please consult qualified medical and mental health professionals as needed. All investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk, and use of this information is at the listener’s discretion.

Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep091 If you’ve ever known you’re good at what you do but felt a knot in your stomach when it came time to raise your prices or choose the right pricing model, this episode will bring clarity. Pricing challenges aren’t about math or market demand. They’re about how safe it feels to lead the pricing conversation. In this conversation, I’m joined by pricing strategist Shannon Mattern to unpack why so many women underprice their work and what actually needs to shift for pricing to feel grounded. This conversation reflects the kind of inner and strategic work we do inside The Conscious Edge—where clarity, nervous system safety, and leadership identity come first so strategy actually sticks. This episode is especially for service providers, consultants, and coaches who are tired of doing more to earn more and are ready to charge in a way that feels clean, calm, and sustainable. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1️⃣ Clear Options Remove the Pressure to Get Pricing “Right” When you offer thoughtful pricing options, you stop trying to guess what a client values most. Clients can choose based on what matters to them, and you don’t have to over-explain or persuade. The pricing structure carries the weight, so decisions feel calmer and more grounded. 2️⃣ Clients Pay for Fewer Decisions, Not More Time Your clients aren’t paying for hours or tasks. They’re paying for your ability to reduce uncertainty and guide good decisions. When pricing reflects your thinking and judgment, clients understand the value and move forward with more confidence. 3️⃣ Clear Agreements Reduce Follow-Ups and Renegotiation When pricing and expectations are clear from the start, accountability becomes shared. You deliver what was agreed to, and clients are less likely to second-guess, renegotiate, or blur boundaries. Pricing becomes a stabilizing structure, not a source of tension. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 86: Relational Capacity - Boundaries That Build Trust & Compassionate Leadership Connect with Shannon Mattern: Shannon Mattern is a pricing strategist for service providers and freelance professionals who sell their expertise and implementation. With over a decade of experience, she’s helped women shift from selling tasks to confidently pricing their intellectual property, strategy, and leadership—especially when they know their pricing needs to change but feel frozen naming the number. 🌐 Website: www.shannonmattern.com/consciousedge  Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to support clear communication, guilt-free boundaries, and compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us: To explore The Exponential Entrepreneur or learn more about working together, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for outcomes resulting from the use of information shared on this podcast or on our websites. This content is not personal, medical, or mental health advice. Please consult qualified medical and mental health professionals as needed. All investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk, and use of this information is at the listener’s discretion.

Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep090 If you’ve ever said, “I can’t grow because I don’t have access to capital,” this conversation will gently but firmly challenge that belief. In this episode, we explore financial capacity through the lens of capital raising and leadership identity. I’m joined by capital-raising strategist Lauren Brychell, who breaks down why access to money is rarely the true constraint. Instead, it’s often confidence, clarity, and the courage to be seen. Together, we unpack what actually holds entrepreneurs back from raising capital, how imposter syndrome quietly caps growth, and what it looks like to step into bigger opportunities without needing to have it all figured out first. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1️⃣Access to Capital Is Rarely the Real Constraint:  Most entrepreneurs believe money is the barrier, but Lauren explains that capital tends to follow clarity, trust, and leadership. When you articulate a compelling vision and show up with integrity, funding becomes a byproduct, not the hurdle. 2️⃣Imposter Syndrome Is a Capacity Challenge, Not a Competency Issue:  Feeling unqualified doesn’t mean you’re unprepared. We talk about how nearly everyone raises their first dollar before they feel ready, and why waiting for total confidence often keeps capable leaders stuck on the sidelines. 3️⃣You Don’t Need to Be the Expert, You Need to Be Trustworthy:  Investors are drawn to authenticity and transparency more than perfection. Being honest about where you are, what you’re building, and why it matters builds far more trust than trying to project expertise you don’t yet feel. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 59: Letting go of Imposter Syndrome: What Comparison is Really Telling You Ep 76: Imposter Syndrome in Business: From Feeling Like a Fraud to Leading with Abundance Connect with Lauren Brychell: Lauren Brychell is a proven leader in capital raising, with a track record of raising over $75 million for commercial real estate projects. She specializes in helping real estate syndicators streamline their marketing and capital-raising efforts so growth feels strategic, not overwhelming. 🌐 Website: www.equity-elevated.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/equity-elevated/ Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to support clear communication, guilt-free boundaries, and compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us: To explore The Exponential Entrepreneur or learn more about working together, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for outcomes resulting from the use of information shared on this podcast or on our websites. This content is not personal, medical, or mental health advice. Please consult qualified medical and mental health professionals as needed. All investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk, and use of this information is at the listener’s discretion.

❓Have a question for Monthly Money Talks? Send your question to me in a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg.  Your question may be featured in an upcoming episode with Zen Jenn. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep089 If you’ve ever hit a point in your business where things feel hard and you’re not sure whether you should push forward or pull back, this conversation will bring clarity. In this episode, you’ll learn how to quickly diagnose whether your business challenges are growing pains that strengthen you or signs of disordered growth that weaken your foundation. In our Monthly Money Talk, Zen Jenn and I break down one of the most overlooked reasons businesses plateau: confusing disordered growth with healthy, capacity-expanding growth. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1️⃣Not All Hard Things Are Red Flags, Some Are Capacity Expansions: We unpack the difference between discomfort that signals misalignment and discomfort that signals growth, helping you avoid pivoting too early or forcing unsustainable strategies. 2️⃣Intentionality Is the Marker of Healthy Growth: Healthy growth includes planning, forecasting, and measured decision-making. Disordered growth shows up as reactivity, panic problem-solving, or chasing quick wins. 3️⃣Pressure Isn’t Always a Strategy Problem; It’s Often a Capacity Clue: When growth feels heavy or urgent, it’s often pointing to a gap in time, financial, emotional, relational, or energetic capacity rather than a flawed business model. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 80: When Growth Stops Feeling Good (Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn) Ep 83: Financial Capacity: The Wealth Shift From Proving to Purposeful Growth  Ep 84: Why Your Business Feels Hard to Grow (Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn)  Connect with Jenn Baas:Jenn is an Outsourced CFO with over 15 years of experience helping small businesses bring ease, clarity, and strategic insight to their financial operations. She joins me each month for Monthly Money Talks with Zen Jenn and leads the Financial Leadership Labs inside The Exponential Entrepreneur. To explore Jenn’s external CFO services, visit: peaktopeaksolutions.com To work with Jenn inside The Exponential Entrepreneur, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening so you never miss a Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn. Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to support clear communication, guilt-free boundaries, and compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us:To explore The Exponential Entrepreneur or learn more about working together, DM me on Instagram→ @aleciastg Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for outcomes resulting from the use of information shared on this podcast or on our websites. This content is not personal, medical, or mental health advice. Please consult qualified medical and mental health professionals as needed. All investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk, and use of this information is at the listener’s discretion.

Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep088 When you avoid a hard conversation, it doesn’t just disappear. It silently taxes your time, your energy, and your momentum. In this episode, we explore how expanding your relational capacity can completely transform how you lead and communicate. I’m joined by real estate investor and client Sandra McEwan, a former pharmacist who rebuilt her career after inheriting her father’s properties and diving head-first into investing. She recently faced a conversation she’d been avoiding for months.  What unfolded on the other side wasn’t conflict but clarity, relief, and renewed trust. If you’ve been carrying the weight of a conversation you don’t want to have, this episode will show you how grounded, compassionate leadership creates connection instead of rupture. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Avoidance Has a Cost: Delaying hard conversations fragments focus, drains energy, and stalls momentum. When Sandra addressed the issue directly, her project moved forward immediately. Testing Your Big Assumption Accelerates Leadership: Using Immunity to Change™, Sandra tested the belief that honesty would create fallout. Instead, she discovered that steady truth builds trust and strengthens relationships. Compassionate Accountability Builds Trust: Clear expectations held with compassion create safety. When boundaries are grounded, leadership becomes simpler and connection deepens. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 68: Tough Conversations Made Easier: Accountability for Leaders who Value Kindness and Compassion Ep 82: Emotional Capacity – Turning Reactivity into Power Ep 86: Relational Capacity – Boundaries That Build Trust & Compassionate Leadership Connect with Sandra McEwan If you're interested in learning more about investing out of state, exploring partnership opportunities, or you’re looking for a mid-term or long-term stay in one of her Augusta properties, you can reach her here: Instagram: @sandras_rei_voyage Sandra transitioned from a 26-year career in pharmacy into real estate investing and now manages a portfolio of small multifamily properties in Augusta, GA. She generously came on the podcast to share her experience as a client inside The Conscious Edge. Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building, not one that drains their energy or demands they become someone they’re not.

Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep087 As the year winds down, Jonathan and I sat together for a heartfelt, unscripted conversation about what truly shaped us in 2025 and who we’re choosing to become in 2026. If you’ve been craving a moment to pause and reorient your inner compass, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. We unpack joy, unexpected challenges, recalibration, and the moments that quietly changed everything. As Jonathan put it, “Some challenges were necessary; they revealed what truly matters.” Before you dive in, here’s a simple reflection to ground you:What was one moment in 2025 that unexpectedly shaped you for the better?Give yourself 10 quiet seconds to answer, it will shift the way you receive this conversation. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Challenges Aren’t Setbacks, They’re Signposts: Both of us experienced moments that were undeniably hard… yet they became catalysts for clarity, redirection, and self-trust. We explore how reframing difficulty as “necessary growth” changes everything. Joy Is Found in Alignment, Not Achievement: From hosting retreats to watching clients transform to watching lifestyle shifts become “the new normal,” we talk about how fulfillment came from alignment with our values, and not all the external milestones.  Intention Is the Portal Into 2026: Instead of chasing the next big goal, we share the invitations we’re answering as we step into the new year: presence, expansion that feels good, and letting joy become a daily rhythm, not a reward.  🗓️A Look Ahead: Episode 88 Next Week: Starting 2026 With the Conversation You’ve Been Avoiding We’re kicking off 2026 with a powerful story from real estate investor Sandra McEwan, who finally had a conversation she’d been avoiding for months. What followed wasn’t conflict, but clarity, trust, and momentum. This episode shows what becomes possible when you lead with grounded honesty. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 81: Energetic Capacity – Lead from Alignment, Not Overdrive Ep 47:The Journey from Compliance-based Bookkeeping to Powerful Finance-driven Business Decisions with Accountant Jenn Baas Ep 35: What You Need to Know Before Making a New Year’s Resolution Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building, not one that drains their energy or demands they become someone they’re not. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to help you communicate expectations clearly, uphold boundaries without guilt, and lead with compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us:Share your takeaway or ask a question by sending a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg If this episode brought you clarity or relief, pass it along to a friend who’s been feeling stretched thin. Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for any negative outcomes resulting from the use or application of information shared in this podcast or on our website. This podcast and any linked materials are not intended as personal advice, medical advice, or mental health treatment. Please consult a qualified medical or mental health professional if you need such services. Please be advised that all investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk. The use of the information and linked materials is at the listener’s own discretion and risk.

🌟 Join the Capacity Series and get instant access to all 5 replays → consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep086 Most entrepreneurs aren’t struggling with people… they’re struggling with relational capacity. If you avoid hard conversations, take responsibility for others’ emotions, or secretly resent how much you’re carrying, this episode will show you why your boundaries aren’t working and what compassionate accountability actually looks like. In Episode 86, we break down the exact scripts, expectations, and leadership shifts that help you communicate clearly, protect your time and energy, and build relationships that feel respectful and easeful again. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Why Your Boundaries Aren’t Working (and What to Do Instead): Rules try to control people. Expectations create shared clarity. Boundaries communicate what you will do. This distinction is the foundation of relational capacity and changes every relationship you’re in. Compassion + Accountability = Trust That Lasts: Most entrepreneurs lead with compassion but avoid accountability. In this episode you’ll hear exactly how to pair “I see you” with “we agreed to this,” so you deepen connection without sacrificing yourself. Your Nervous System Reacts to Boundaries and So Will Theirs: When you begin holding people accountable, expect emotional responses. Some will rise. Some will step away. Your job isn’t to manage their discomfort; it’s to stay rooted in your leadership and let clarity sort your relationships for you. 🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 81: Energetic Capacity – Lead from Alignment, Not Overdrive Ep 82: Emotional Capacity – Turning Reactivity into Power Ep 84: Time Capacity – Reclaim Your Time & Lead with Aligned Focus  Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building, not one that drains their energy or demands they become someone they’re not. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to help you communicate expectations clearly, uphold boundaries without guilt, and lead with compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us:Share your takeaway or ask a question by sending a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg If this episode brought you clarity or relief, pass it along to a friend who’s been feeling stretched thin. Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for any negative outcomes resulting from the use or application of information shared in this podcast or on our website. This podcast and any linked materials are not intended as personal advice, medical advice, or mental health treatment. Please consult a qualified medical or mental health professional if you need such services. Please be advised that all investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk. The use of the information and linked materials is at the listener’s own discretion and risk.

🌟 Join the Capacity Series and get instant access to all full replays → consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep085 Most entrepreneurs don’t have a time-management challenge.  They have a capacity challenge. If you’re a business owner or real estate investor who feels like you’re doing all the things but still not moving the needle, this episode will help you shift out of urgency and into aligned, intentional focus. I used to say, “I don’t have time” constantly, until I realized it was actually my nervous system signaling overwhelm, not my calendar. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: The New Productivity Paradigm: Why “I don’t have time” keeps you trapped in reactive mode and the mindset shift that immediately expands your Time Capacity. Where Your Time Is Really Leaking: How urgency, overbooking, and misaligned commitments quietly drain your focus and slow your growth (especially when you’re juggling business, family, and leadership). Aligned Rhythms That Work: A simple way to use the Leadership Rhythm (Focus Out → Focus On → Focus In) to reclaim your energy, solve for bottlenecks in your business, and prioritize what matters so business becomes sustainable and fulfilling.  🎧 Related Episodes You May Enjoy: Ep 81: Energetic Capacity – Lead from Alignment, Not Overdrive Ep 82: Emotional Capacity – Turning Reactivity into Power Ep 83: Financial Capacity – The Wealth Shift from Proving to Purposeful Growth Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur:  A year-long coaching experience for women entrepreneurs who want a business that feels meaningful and sustainable—one that supports fulfillment, presence, and the life they’re building, not one that drains their energy or demands they become someone they’re not. This work blends science-based coaching, soul-purpose alignment, and practical business strategy to help you communicate expectations clearly, uphold boundaries without guilt, and lead with compassionate accountability. The result is meaningful financial growth, steadier emotions, and protected energy. It also gives you more time for what matters most: your children and loved ones, travel and adventure, rest, and true personal restoration. Connect with Us: Share your takeaway or ask a question by sending a DM on Instagram → @aleciastg If this episode brought you clarity or relief, pass it along to a friend who’s been feeling stretched thin. Disclaimer:  The Conscious Edge and all content published by Alecia St. Germain and Jonathan Dugger is for general information, education, and entertainment only. We are not liable or responsible for any negative outcomes resulting from the use or application of information shared in this podcast or on our website. This podcast and any linked materials are not intended as personal advice, medical advice, or mental health treatment. Please consult a qualified medical or mental health professional if you need such services. Please be advised that all investing and entrepreneurial endeavors involve risk. The use of the information and linked materials is at the listener’s own discretion and risk.

🌟 Join The Capacity Series:  The free 5-week training to expand what you can hold emotionally, energetically, financially, so success feels sustainable.   Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/084 It’s time for another Monthly Money Talk with Zen Jenn, and this month we’re going straight into the patterns that silently sabotage your growth. Joining me is fractional CFO and financial strategist Jenn Baas of Peak to Peak Solutions, the woman I consider the go-to for understanding the financial heartbeat of a healthy business. In this episode, we unpack why your business feels harder to grow than it should, and why the real issue has nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with the hidden dysfunctions that only show up when you expand. Whether you’re raising your prices, serving more clients, or stepping into the next level of leadership; your financial foundations will amplify what’s there. Jenn and I break it all down so you can build a business that grows clean, not chaotic. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1. Growth exposes the dysfunction you’ve been unconsciously managing.  Small businesses can hide inefficient processes, unclear roles, and messy workflows, but as soon as you grow, those cracks widen. Jenn explains why growth doesn’t create problems… it reveals them. 2. Expand your business model before you expand your revenue.  If you want to grow sustainably, your systems, financial structure, and capacity plan must come first. Otherwise, growth becomes overwhelming instead of exciting. 3. Money is an amplifier, not a solution.  More money won’t fix what’s not working in your business. Instead, it magnifies the patterns already there. That’s why mindset and financial strategy must evolve together. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 83 - Financial Capacity: The Wealth Shift From Proving to Purposeful Growth Episode 80 - When Growth Stops Feeling Good: How to Build a Healthy Business That Grows Sustainably with accountant Jenn Baas Episode 47: The Journey from Compliance-based Bookkeeping to Powerful Finance-driven Business Decisions with Accountant Jenn Baas  Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

🌟 Join the Capacity Series — get the replays and next live dates at consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/083 If you’ve ever hit an income plateau, watched money flow out as quickly as it comes in, or felt pressure to “prove yourself” financially… you’re not imagining it. Most women entrepreneurs don’t have a strategy challenge; They have a financial capacity challenge. In this episode, I’m breaking down why your nervous system, beliefs about money, and internal definitions of safety and worthiness determine the income you can hold and how to shift from pressure and proving into purposeful, aligned growth you can actually sustain. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1. Your financial ceiling isn’t logical, it’s emotional.  You can have the strategy, the mentor, and the plan… but if a certain income level feels unsafe, overwhelming, or tied to pressure, your nervous system will sabotage the result. We break down how income ceilings show up and how to expand them consciously. 2. Proving keeps you in overwork. Purpose creates sustainable growth.  When money becomes proof of worthiness, achievement, or being “enough,” you’ll hustle harder than necessary and still feel like it’s not enough. We explore how to shift from pressure-based goals into purposeful growth that matches your true vision. 3. Financial capacity shapes how much money you can earn, hold, and manage.  Money is more than math.  It’s memory, meaning, and emotion. When you untangle old stories about safety, scarcity, and worthiness, you create a grounded financial foundation that allows income to grow without overwhelm, self-sacrifice, or burnout. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 79: You’re Not Behind: How Capacity Shapes Your Potential Episode 81: Energetic Capacity: Leading from Alignment, Not Overdrive Episode 82: Emotional Capacity: How to Stop Letting Your Reactions Run the Show Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

🌟 Join the Capacity Series — get the replays and next live dates at consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/082 In today’s episode, Alecia St. Germain brings you Session 2 of The Capacity Series all about emotional capacity.  It’s the ability to feel fully, stay present, and respond instead of react. Emotional capacity isn’t about being calm all the time. It’s about being able to notice what you feel, stay grounded in your body, and choose your next move with intention, instead of letting old protection patterns run your day. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Protection patterns are not flaws.  They’re bids for safety.  Fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and feign all began as your nervous system’s way of protecting you. When you stop judging them, you can finally work with them rather than against them. Awareness is the bridge between reactivity and regulation.  The moment you recognize what’s happening, “I’m freezing,” “I’m fawning,” “I’m in judgment,” “I’m overwhelmed,” you create the space to choose a different response. You always have a choice: notice → regulate → act with alignment. Once you can name the pattern and the emotion underneath it, you can slow down, regulate your nervous system, and take aligned action instead of reactive action. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 79: You’re Not Behind: How Capacity Shapes Your Potential Episode 81: Energetic Capacity: Leading from Alignment, Not Overdrive Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us:Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagra

🌟 Join the Capacity Series — get the replays and next live dates at consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/081 When you’ve been operating at full throttle for too long, even small wins can start to feel heavy. In this first episode of The Capacity Series, Alecia St. Germain unpacks what energetic capacity really means and why more hustle isn’t the answer. You’ll learn how to spot the subtle signs of energy leaks, why over-efforting keeps you stuck, and how to lead from alignment so that your energy, body, and business can support each other again. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: You can’t out-hustle misalignment: When you’re in sync with your purpose, energy renews itself. Awareness creates expansion: Capacity grows in small, safe stretches, not big unsustainable leaps. Your leadership rhythm matters: Balancing Focus Out, Focus On, and Focus In restores flow and fuels long-term success. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 79: You’re Not Behind: How Capacity Shapes Your Potential Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

🌟 Join The Capacity Series, a free 5-week training to expand what you can hold financially, energetically, and emotionally so success feels sustainable. Register now at www.consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep080 This week kicks off our brand-new Monthly Money Talks with Zen Jenn, bringing the strategy and structure that ground the science and soul of conscious business growth. If you’ve ever hit a point where your business growth stops feeling good, this episode is for you. Fractional CFO and financial strategist Jenn Baas (aka Zen Jenn) joins me to unpack the hidden reasons growth becomes stressful, why so many entrepreneurs feel shame about money, and how to create sustainable financial success without burnout. We talk about the emotional and energetic side of business finances, how big assumptions drive over-expansion, and what it really takes to build a profitable business that also feels peaceful and aligned. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: 1️⃣ When Growth Serves a Big Assumption, It Leads You Off Course: Sometimes the drive to grow comes from an unconscious belief that bigger means better or that success will finally make you feel safe, worthy, or free. We explore how these hidden money beliefs can drive over-investment and create misaligned decisions that drain both your finances and energy. 2️⃣ Shame Keeps You Stuck, Awareness and Compassion Move You Forward: Financial shame thrives in secrecy. Jenn shares how to move from judgment to curiosity so you can manage your money with clarity and confidence. You’ll learn how to release guilt, rebuild trust with your numbers, and take small steps toward financial alignment. 3️⃣ Build a Healthy Business First and Let Growth Be the Byproduct: Sustainable business growth starts with a healthy foundation. When your business is financially organized, emotionally grounded, and energetically aligned, expansion happens naturally. Focus on creating stability and your growth will follow. 🎧 Related episodes you’ll love: Episode 47: The Journey from Compliance-based Bookkeeping to Powerful Finance-driven Business Decisions with Accountant Jenn Baas  Episode 49: Finding the Right Financial Experts for Your Team and Your Role as the Business Owner with Jenn Baas Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

🌟 Join the Capacity Series — get the replays and next live dates at consciousedge.com/capacity Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/079 Have you ever felt like you’re not living up to your potential? In this solo episode, I’m breaking down why that feeling is often a misunderstanding of what “potential” really means. You’re not behind.  You’re simply performing at your current potential for the capacity you have right now. I’ll share how to grow that capacity through the natural cycle of expansion and how the five dimensions of capacity shape what’s possible for you next. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Your potential is limited only by your capacity: You’re already performing at your potential for where your capacity is today. Once you understand that, shame and judgment turn into clarity and choice. Each dimension of capacity unlocks a new level of potential: Emotional, energetic, time, financial, and relational capacity all influence how much you can hold and create. Knowing which one needs attention helps you grow in a sustainable way. Expansion follows a repeatable cycle: Capacity grows through awareness, activation, expansion, integration, and embodiment. It’s not a one-time fix—it’s a rhythm you can return to each time you level up. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 76:  Imposter Syndrome in Business: From Feeling Like a Fraud to Leading with Abundance Episode 77: Fake It ’Til You Make It: Authenticity vs. Deception in Business and Leadership Episode 78: Title: How to Stop Fearing Failure and Start Using It to Fuel Your Growth Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Take the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment Discover what’s holding your business back and where to focus next to grow with clarity and confidence. 👉 www.consciousedge.com/assessment Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/078 We’ve spent the last few weeks unpacking imposter syndrome and whether “fake it ’til you make it” helps or hurts. This week, Jonathan and I take it one step further with a specific process for unpacking failure so it actually works for you instead of against you. We’re breaking down how to process the emotions that come with failure, extract the data it reveals about your inner patterns, and make small, strategic shifts that move you closer to success. Because every entrepreneur fails, but the ones who learn how to interpret failure are the ones who grow faster and more sustainably. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Treat success and failure equally: Most of us obsess over what went wrong but barely pause to celebrate what went right. Giving success and failure equal attention helps you build awareness, balance perspective, and create emotional resilience. Learn how to process failure instead of avoiding it: Pause before jumping into fix-it mode. Feel the emotions, notice the stories your mind tells you, and look at what the data of failure is revealing about your inner patterns and beliefs. Failure is rarely all or nothing: When something doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean it’s over, it often means you’re just a few tweaks away from breakthrough. Seeing nuance helps you move forward faster and with more self-trust. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 76:  Imposter Syndrome in Business: From Feeling Like a Fraud to Leading with Abundance Episode 77: Fake It ’Til You Make It: Authenticity vs. Deception in Business and Leadership Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer)

Take the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment Discover what’s holding your business back and where to focus next to grow with clarity and confidence. 👉 www.consciousedge.com/assessment Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/077 “Fake it ’til you make it.” Is it a valuable mindset hack for overcoming imposter syndrome — or does it make you feel like a fraud? In this episode, Jonathan and I break down the real intention behind the phrase, how to recognize when you’re using it productively versus deceptively, and how to find the angle that’s true for you so you can lead with integrity and alignment. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: “Fake it till you make it” is about practice, not pretending. We unpack the real origin of the phrase as a way to practice new, healthy behaviors before they feel natural in recovery communities. It’s not about pretending you’re someone you’re not; it’s about embodying the habits and mindset of who you’re becoming. 2. The difference between alignment and manipulation. If “faking it” feels deceptive, that’s a signal you’re out of alignment. Authentic confidence grows when your actions match your values, even if you’re stretching into a new identity. Manipulation and posturing, on the other hand, create dissonance and others will pick up on it too. 3. Find your true angle.You don’t need to have all the answers. Reframe “fake it” as “find the version of this that’s true for me right now.” When you anchor in authenticity and intention, you naturally show up with the confidence, credibility, and energy that attract trust. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 76:  Imposter Syndrome in Business: From Feeling Like a Fraud to Leading with Abundance Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Take the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment Discover what’s holding your business back and where to focus next to grow with clarity and confidence. 👉 www.consciousedge.com/assessment Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/076 If you’ve ever worried someone might “find you out,” this episode is for you. Jonathan and I unpack imposter syndrome, why it shows up even when you’re successful, and how it keeps you trapped in the exhausting loop of proving yourself. We explore the psychology behind feeling like a fraud, the relationship between perfectionism and the fear of failure, and how to shift from self-criticism to mindful self-compassion. You’ll learn practical ways to collect evidence of your success, challenge limiting assumptions, and lead your business from a place of abundance and peace instead of fear. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Imposter Syndrome is rooted in big assumptions that keep you proving yourself. Even with evidence of success, your brain hunts for flaws to confirm the story that you’re not enough. When you spot those patterns, you can rewrite them and finally lead from abundance instead of fear. Growth requires a healthy relationship with failure. Perfectionism convinces you that mistakes are dangerous, but failure is just feedback. When you see it as data, not a verdict, you create space to stretch past your perceived ceiling and find peace in your own growth. Knowing you’re enough is the foundation of sustainable success. When you stop trying to earn your place and start trusting your value, everything changes. Receiving praise, help, or payment isn’t arrogance, t’s alignment. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 30: When Opportunity Knocks and You’re Not Ready Episode 19: What Mindfulness Actually is and How to Use It Daily Episode 17: The Journey to Release Shame Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Elevate your leadership, your impact, and your results. Begin with the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/075 Did you know 65% of businesses fail within the first 10 years? I don’t want you to be part of that statistic. In this episode, I’m talking about what it really takes to build a business that goes the distance. It’s not just about making money.  It’s about leadership, alignment, and the financial habits that keep your business sustainable and fulfilling for the long haul. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Your business needs more than money. Cash flow matters, but real sustainability comes when you grow into the leader your business needs and build financial habits that support both your goals and your values. Hitting pause isn’t optional. Slowing down to review your numbers, your systems, and your capacity isn’t a luxury. It’s how you protect yourself from burnout and make sure your business supports the life you actually want. Growth takes more than hustle.  Scaling isn’t about piling on more work. Without structure and support, you’ll keep hitting the same plateau. The right systems free you up to thrive as a whole human, not just a business owner. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 47: The Journey from Compliance-based Bookkeeping to Powerful Finance-driven Business Decisions with Accountant Jenn Baas Wondering how coaching could support you? Start by filling out my Conscious Business Alignment Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment I’ll personally review your responses and share where things may be out of alignment, what opportunities you might be missing, and where it may be time to invest in resources—whether that’s hiring a team, building infrastructure, or developing your leadership and mindset.  Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

🌟 Wondering how coaching could support you? Start with the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment at www.consciousedge.com/assessment. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep074 In this episode, I catch up with former client Veronica Ferrante, once called the “Queen of the Poconos” and now expanding her realm into new markets. When we worked together, Veronica wrestled with a belief that if she couldn’t be the best, she should quit altogether. Years later, that same belief has been reshaped into her unique value proposition: delivering her very best in hospitality, every single time. Her story is especially inspiring for women entrepreneurs and real estate investors who want to grow wealth without burning out. From navigating the chaos of COVID-era short-term rentals, when “any house would rent,” to expanding her company, Ideal Stays, nationwide, Veronica shows how alignment and mindset shifts echo long after coaching ends. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Your limiting beliefs hold clues to your purpose: Veronica’s “be the best or quit” mindset once drained her, but it revealed her drive to set a new hospitality standard in short-term rentals. The market doesn’t reward average anymore: During COVID, renters “just wanted to go anywhere.” Today, only short-term rentals with strong amenities, thoughtful design, and professional management succeed, especially for women entrepreneurs and investors who want passive income without constant stress. Alignment ripples outward: By redefining “best” as bringing her best, Veronica built a team that now carries her standards forward and often executes them even better than she could alone. As she says in the episode, “I realized being the best wasn’t about me. It’s about creating experiences where my team often does it even better than I could.” The inner work starts with you, and it shapes the people you hire and the clients you attract. 🎧Resource mentioned in this episode: Follow Veronica (Nica) on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/nicaferrante/ Follow  Ideal Stays: https://www.instagram.com/ideal.stays/ Check out Ideal Stays: https://www.idealstaysusa.com/ Wondering how coaching could support you? Start with the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment. It takes about 10 minutes and pinpoints where you’re out of alignment, what to prioritize next, and where to invest (team, systems, leadership). I personally review every submission and send feedback within 3 business days. Take the Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer)

🌟 Wondering how coaching could support you? Start with the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment at www.consciousedge.com/assessment. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep073 If you’ve ever caught yourself comparing your business to someone else’s or judging how another entrepreneur markets themselves, this episode is for you. Jonathan and I dive into how judgment, of both others and of ourselves, influences the way we show up. We talk about the fear of being judged, why that fear holds us back from sharing the stories that create real connection, and how to check in with your own intentions before you decide what to share. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Judgment makes you hold back:  When you question other entrepreneurs’ motives, it can creep into your own decisions and cause you to hold back. The stories and experiences that could help your audience most never get shared. Your people need connection more than perfection:  Some will resonate with what you share and some will judge, but your audience needs those points of connection to feel seen. When we shared openly, albeit reluctantly, about neurodivergence, listenership spiked significantly. That’s the power of showing up authentically for the people who need you. Check your intentions, not theirs: You’ll never truly know if someone else is sharing from authenticity or manipulation, you only see their actions. What matters is clarifying your own intentions and trusting others to discern for themselves. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 12: Processing What You Think Other Believe About You Episode 7: Choosing Self-Compassion Over Self-Criticism Episode 2: What to Do When Judgment Steals Your Joy Wondering how coaching could support you? Start with the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment. It takes about 10 minutes and pinpoints where you’re out of alignment, what to prioritize next, and where to invest (team, systems, leadership). I personally review every submission and send feedback within 3 business days. Take the Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer)

📝Get full show notes at  www.consciousedge.com/ep072 Seattle-based lender Melissa Korda funded 209 investor loans / $118M in 2024. After 20 years in collegiate/pro sports (master’s in Kinesiology) and years of flips, COVID ended the “safe” path and she rebuilt from the ground up as a loan officer. Today she holds 3 long-term rentals, invests passively, and teaches women how to use private lending and creative capital to build aligned wealth. We get into the pride-swallowing first step, why joy is the compass, and how our dinner-table talks about college, AI, and success have changed. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Learn as you go, with guidance, or you’ll never start:  You will never feel fully “ready.” Get educated, get a mentor or coach, then move. The real growth happens in motion. Melissa’s pivot worked because she took the next honest step and let each rep become tuition for the bigger deals. The gift in every project, regardless of the check you cash, is the capability you build. Those lessons are what make the larger, later deals run smoothly. Redefine success, for you and your kids: Our households aren’t having the same “college or bust” talk we grew up with. Trades are valuable, entrepreneurship is learn-by-doing, and yes, AI is reshaping what’s needed. We even call out current data around computer-science grads and why the “right path” is the one that fits the human in front of you.  Traditional paths rarely create real wealth, creative ones do: From Melissa’s lending seat, we unpack why MLS-only hunting and bank-only financing weren’t built to help you break the mold and how alternative lenders and relationship-driven deal flow open better opportunities. 🎧Resource mentioned in this episode: Get in touch with Melissa: [email protected] Follow Melissa on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/melissakorda.lender.re/ Wondering how coaching could support you? Start with the Conscious Business Alignment Assessment. It takes about 10 minutes and pinpoints where you’re out of alignment, what to prioritize next, and where to invest (team, systems, leadership). I personally review every submission and send feedback within 3 business days. Take the Assessment: www.consciousedge.com/assessment Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us:Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Running a brick-and-mortar business often means choosing between growth and survival.  Do you hire the team you need or expand into the space your business deserves?  In this episode, I sit down with my client Katie Kim, a visionary developer and educator who has made it her mission to change that story. Katie shares how she helps entrepreneurs leverage real estate not just as a place to operate, but as a powerful tool for adding income streams, unlocking hidden incentives, and creating long-term wealth—even beyond the day you exit your business. Having closed her first deal at just 15, she’s spent decades making real estate development more accessible for business owners. Her work is deeply purpose-driven, answering her own calling to help others use real estate as a foundation for growth, stability, and legacy. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Add income streams through ownership: Stop thinking of rent as just an expense. Owning or strategically structuring your business location can turn your space into a wealth-building asset. Leverage incentives you didn’t know existed: Katie reveals the economic development and community-based programs most small business owners never hear about—and how they can lighten your debt load and accelerate growth. Plan for a wealth-building exit: Whether you sell your business or pass it on, holding the real estate keeps income flowing and creates powerful options for your retirement and legacy. 🎧Resource mentioned in this episode: To learn more about how Katie can support you visit https://www.katiekim.com/. FREE Real Estate Development Deal Checklist – https://www.katiekim.com/checklist Follow Katie on Social Media: @TheKatieKim Interested in Working Together? Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur (www.consciousedge.com/apply):  A full year coaching experience for women in real estate and entrepreneurship who don’t need more strategy and suspect they themselves are the biggest obstacle in the way.   Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us:Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep070 Working with your partner can be incredibly rewarding and incredibly challenging. In this episode, I sit down with my client, coach, and fellow entrepreneur Amanda Rockrohr, who helps couples navigate the unique dynamics of running a business together. She shares not only what it takes to thrive in business with your partner, but also the powerful shifts she’s made in the last year through coaching. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Doing business as a couple requires intentional structure: Amanda explains how she and her husband clarified roles, set boundaries, and created annual retreats so they could stay aligned in both love and business. Confidence comes from doing the inner work: Before coaching, Amanda struggled with indecision and leaned heavily on others for validation. She realized the answer wasn’t going to come from another program or tactic, it was her mindset.  By uncovering her Big Assumptions, she shifted from second-guessing every decision to trusting her voice and leading with confidence. Confusion isn’t always what it seems: Amanda realized she was unconsciously using “confusion” as a way to control situations. Once she saw this pattern, she not only gained clarity in her own opinions, but also began communicating more clearly with her husband.  Ultimately, it transformed the way they collaborate and make choices together. 🎧Resource mentioned in this episode: Doing Business as a Couple Free Resources https://stan.store/doingbusinessasacouple Follow Amanda on Instagram: @amandarockrohr Follow Doing Business as Couple on Instagram: @doingbusinessasacouple Interested in Working Together? Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur (www.consciousedge.com/apply):  A full year coaching experience for women in real estate and entrepreneurship who don’t need more strategy and suspect they themselves are the biggest obstacle in the way.   Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

🌟 Build a business that supports your life, not the other way around. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep069 Motherhood changes everything, including how you run your business. In this episode, I share the lessons I wish I had known before becoming a mom, the hidden assumptions that keep women playing small, and the mindset shifts that make it possible to thrive as both a caregiver and an entrepreneur. Whether you’re planning for kids, raising littles, caring for school-aged children, or supporting aging parents, this conversation will give you perspective and tools to grow a business that truly supports your life. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Plan for your stage of life: I wish I had known how much motherhood would impact my energy, time, and business decisions. Each stage—planning, preschoolers, school-age kids, or caregiving parents—requires a different kind of strategy. Don’t fall for the either/or trap: So many women believe they have to choose between being a good mom and building a thriving business. That assumption keeps you from finding solutions that allow you to design a business that supports both your family and your ambitions. Support isn’t optional, it’s essential: If I could go back, I’d plan for and invest in help sooner, whether through childcare, business hires, or financial buffers. Support creates freedom, prevents burnout, and allows your business to grow with you. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 22: The Real Reasons You Don’t Have Time Episode 24: Creating a Calendar that Feels Fun Interested in Working Together? Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur (www.consciousedge.com/apply):  A full year coaching experience for women in real estate and entrepreneurship who don’t need more strategy and suspect they themselves are the biggest obstacle in the way.   Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Strengthen your leadership skills and navigate tough conversations with confidence. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep068 As entrepreneurs, one of the hardest leadership skills to master is holding people accountable, especially when you value kindness and worry about coming across as “mean.” In this episode, Jonathan Dugger and I unpack compassionate accountability and how to use it to improve team performance, build trust, and address conflict without burning bridges. You’ll learn how to stay grounded in your values, manage your emotions before a tough conversation, and create a workplace culture where both kindness and results thrive. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Compassion isn’t weakness, it’s active leadership: True compassion in business means you pair empathy with accountability. It’s not about being nice, it’s about creating positive change, protecting your standards, and helping people grow. Be self-aware before you confront: Before giving feedback, take a moment to check in with yourself. Identify your emotions, clarify your expectations, and separate facts from assumptions. A self-aware leader communicates more clearly, stays calm under pressure, and avoids unnecessary conflict. Assume positive intent, but don’t avoid the truth:You can care about your team and address performance issues directly. Ignoring the problem doesn’t protect relationships, it erodes them. 🎧 Podcast episodes related to this one that might interest you: Episode 19: What Mindfulness Actually Is and How to Use it Daily Interested in Working Together? Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur (www.consciousedge.com/apply):  A full year coaching experience for women in real estate and entrepreneurship who don’t need more strategy and suspect they themselves are the biggest obstacle in the way.   Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Want to feel more confident in who you're lending your money to? Start with the right questions. Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep067 I’m Alecia St. Germain, founder of The Conscious Edge and host of this podcast. If you're using private lending to grow your wealth, you need to know this: even savvy investors can fall for a polished pitch. In this episode, I talk with Melissa Palmer, former federal agent and behavioral scientist, who now dedicates her work to protecting investors from fraud and fuzzy facts.  After losing a significant sum in a deal gone sideways, she used her investigative training and firsthand experience to build a safer system for evaluating lending opportunities. This is a must-listen if you're handing over cash and want to do it with confidence. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: What you don’t know can cost you: Melissa shares how even with deep experience, she lost money and how that moment reshaped her entire approach to investing.  Create your own “safe lending system”: Learn the framework Melissa uses to help her clients vet borrowers, structure due diligence, and reduce emotion-driven decisions. Purpose protects your profits: Start with your vision. Know what kind of impact you want your money to have because clarity creates boundaries that keep you (and your wallet) safe. 🎧Resource mentioned in this episode: Connect with Melissa Palmer on Instagram @melpalmer.me To learn more about Capital Verified services visit https://capitalverified.com/ Interested in Working Together? Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur (www.consciousedge.com/apply):  A full year coaching experience for women in real estate and entrepreneurship who don’t need more strategy and suspect they themselves are the biggest obstacle in the way.   Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us:Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram

Want to create sustainable wealth without sacrificing peace of mind? Get full show notes at www.consciousedge.com/ep066 I’m Alecia St. Germain, founder of The Conscious Edge and host of this podcast. If you caught last week’s episode on mid-year money check-ins, you know I’ve been thinking a lot about the mindset behind our financial decisions. So I invited Whitney Elkins-Hutten to join me and take that conversation even further. Whitney helps high-income earners and business owners transform their active income into long-term, passive wealth. In this episode, she shares how to shift from reactive decisions to a proactive, aligned investment strategy, especially in unpredictable markets. If you're a woman building wealth through business or real estate, this conversation will help you play smarter, not just harder. 📝 Top 3 Takeaways from the Episode: Invest with alignment, not urgency: Whitney shares why hitting pause on investing isn’t failure, it’s wisdom. A strong investment strategy starts with your values, not the latest trend. Understand your capital stack: Don’t let industry jargon keep you from making empowered decisions. Whitney breaks down how understanding where your money sits in a deal helps you reduce risk and protect your future. Preservation fuels peace of mind: Cash flow, liquidity, and capital preservation may not sound sexy, but they’re what let you sleep at night and show up strong for your business, family, and goals. 🎧Resource mentioned in this episode: Read Money for Tomorrow with the author herself! Whitney Elkins-Hutten, author of Money for Tomorrow, is hosting a special book club this August to help you take aligned, confident steps toward financial freedom. Join the book club to read Money for Tomorrow alongside other purpose-driven investors and get exclusive access to live discussions with Whitney where you can ask questions and go deeper into the strategies from the book. 👉 Sign up now at www.ashwealth.com/bookclub and start building wealth that lasts on your terms. Learn more about The Exponential Entrepreneur (www.consciousedge.com/apply):  A full year coaching experience for women business owners and real estate investors who don’t need more strategy and suspect they themselves are the biggest obstacle in the way.   Disclaimer (www.consciousedge.com/podcast-disclaimer) Connect with Us: Send questions and feedback to [email protected] or DM @aleciastg on Instagram