Episódios
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In a world that glorifies hustle, pausing can feel wrong.
How do you slow down when there’s a never-ending to-do list at work—and home?
Yet, here’s the paradox: making space to pause is often the very thing that creates clarity, energy, and momentum for what truly matters.
This is something I’ve seen transform the careers and lives of so many women I’ve worked with (myself included!) And something 40+ women experienced live with Elaine and I during last week’s webinar training on How To Figure Out Your Next Career Step where we paused together to reassess our priorities.
Pausing doesn’t have to mean a week-long retreat or a luxury spa day completely switched off from work (though of course that’s great if you can swing it!)
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m talking all about the power of finding room to pause even in your busiest seasons and how the power of pausing can lead you towards career clarity, as well as some tips for how you can find room in your busy schedule to create this much needed spaciousness.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/120 -
What does it take to transition out of corporate and into being a purposeful entrepreneur?
It’s no small feat to take the leap out of a stable, corporate role with career progression and move into entrepreneurship to find location and financial freedom, as well as your professional calling.
It takes determination, perseverance and a lot of commitment, so to answer this very important question, I sat down with Elaine Champion on this week’s podcast.
Elaine is an ex corporate girl turned entrepreneur. She's an accredited coach, facilitator, mom and mentor who specialises in helping professional women who are feeling stuck get unstuck. She's a seasoned corporate leader and has 25 years of experience spanning across communications, training, leadership, organisation development, DEI and before she exited the corporate world, she was at Cathay Pacific airways, as their head of leadership and organisational development, and also looked after their global DEI strategy.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast with Elaine Champion, we sit down to discuss her journey from corporate to entrepreneurship including transitioning out of full-time work, overcoming her fears and financial concerns, and the fulfilment that Elaine has found in following her purpose.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/119 -
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Do you feel like you're bumping into challenge after challenge at work?
Perhaps you’re in a toxic workplace, working with people that you really don’t want to collaborate with?
Do you feel stuck and like you want to throw in the towel, but that’s just not an option for you right now?
Sometimes the answer to difficult situations is drastic change. A new job, a whole new career, a completely new environment. Other times it’s an opportunity to learn and grow in that difficult spot or it’s just not an option for you to make a drastic change.
It may feel like a difficult and uncomfortable place to be in and that everything is out of your control, but there are still things you can do to navigate this period.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m sharing 5 steps to help you when you feel like you want to quit, but that’s not an option for you right now.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/118 -
What’s the biggest challenge going on for you in your career right now?
A theme that I see come up time and time again for my clients is letting past setbacks determine what we are capable of now.
Most of us have had negative, hard or difficult experiences in our careers.
Now this in itself is completely normal, but what can happen is that we can make meaning from those past experiences that can either hinder us or support us.
When you experience something “negative” it’s easy to tell yourself a story about who you are and what you are and aren’t capable of. We can take those narratives with us even if we try to change our circumstances in new positions, new companies, even entirely new careers.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m sharing how you can redefine a set back and turn the obstacles you perceive from it into opportunities that support your growth.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/117 -
What does your nervous system have to do with your performance?
With your well-being?
With your ability to be resilient?
In short, everything.
We live in a very cognitive, cerebral, strategic world, which is an important part of your career strategy, but if you’re not feeling motivated, confident or in alignment, then it’s simply not enough to get the outcome that you desire.
This is where your nervous system comes in so that you can leverage the power of your thoughts and feelings to be able to perform and create change in your life and your work.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I want to help you to begin building that relationship with your body and your nervous system by getting to know your arousal levels using the Yerkes-Dodson Curve.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/116 -
The busy season is almost upon us and in this episode I want to help set you up to get the most out of the remainder of 2024 whilst feeling present and spacious.
Regardless of whether you’re in the northern hemisphere, like I am in Hong Kong or in the southern hemisphere, the final few months of the year can bring about some extra time management challenges.
There’s often increased social gatherings, tight deadlines and projects to finish up before holidays, and all the fun festive activities that happen towards the end of the year.
We’re already in September, so now is the time to get on top of your calendar and start setting yourself up for a spacious and present end to the year.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m sharing how you can plan for a busy Q4 this year through identifying the season of life you’re in, setting goals and getting strategic about how you’re going to balance your work and life in Q4.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/115 -
Olympians are driven by an unyielding ambition.
They pursue excellence and have high standards.
You may not be looking to achieve gold at the next olympics, but my guess is that you too are in pursuit of excellence and have gold medal standards in the work you do.
This requires that you embrace your drive to succeed, beginning with defining your goals with clarity.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m talking about how you can achieve the gold medal standard that you strive for in your career through ambition, hard work, resilience, and a commitment to continuous growth…just like the Olympians that we’ve all been watching.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/114 -
Change is the only constant in life.
Recently, I’ve been having a number of conversations with people who are in a period of transition or change.
The reasons for change vary greatly. From organisation restructuring, promotions or redundancy, or a change in a personal situation.
This means that navigating change is a crucial skill that can make or break your success and happiness.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m sharing with you why change can be disorienting and stressful and some strategies that you can use as you navigate change to come out the other side stronger.
These strategies can be applied as you navigate transition now, or you can begin to foster them now so that you are prepared as change happens in your life.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/113 -
Do you find yourself feeling stuck?
Perhaps you find yourself procrastinating or you’re not clear on what you want to do. Maybe your self-critic is getting a little bit too loud these days and holding you back from taking action.
Coaches are trained professionals who help you navigate your own path, overcome obstacles that are unique to you and achieve the goals that you desire.
The important thing to know here is that coaches aren’t consultants in that they don’t just provide you with a solution and you go on your way, coaches empower you to find and implement your own solutions so that you develop the tools to do this again and again throughout your life.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast I’m sharing with you, your guide to why, when and how to work with a coach so that you can get the most out of your coaching experience and walk away feeling empowered and in charge of your own life and goals.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/112 -
Have you ever found yourself struggling in a work environment, wondering if you’re meant to be there?
Maybe you’re unsure if your kindness and empathy belongs in the workplace that you’re in? Or if kindness belongs in leadership and successful companies at all?
Dr Bonnie Hayden Cheng is an Organisational Psychologist, Associate Professor of Management and MBA programme director at the Hong Kong University Business school.
Bonnie is super passionate about corporate wellness and holds a unique position designing and implementing cutting edge, research backed solutions to help companies deliver impact on real world challenges to create awesome corporate cultures where people thrive.
Her research is dedicated to helping employees achieve and maintain wellbeing in the workplace. This includes understanding how and when workplace anxiety can enhance performance, recovering from daily job demands and maintaining proactivity in the workplace.
Bonnie's body of work is really about bringing humanity back into the workplace. And so if you find that you can't bring your humaneness to work, and you struggle with your mental health, your leadership style, and you're not sure how to best show up at work, then this episode is for you.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast with Bonnie Cheng, Bonnie shares more about the return of kindness, why kindness matters, her journey to becoming an Organisational Psychologist, and focussing on a core purpose and passion to navigate your career journey.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/111 -
The middle of 2024 is fast approaching and whether you feel like everything is going to plan or if you feel like you need to hit reset, this is for you.
It’s not unusual to look back on 3, 6 or 12 months and realise that somewhere along the way life happened and you feel like you haven’t gotten a whole lot closer to achieving your goals, or that things seem to be taking much longer than anticipated.
Whether this relates to your career goals or life goals, putting aside some time to reflect and review is a critical step in getting back on track to making your goals a reality.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast, I’m sharing 4 simple questions that you can use to guide your own mid-year review and get back on track with your goals and intentions.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/110 -
Have you ever had to deal with a “bad” boss, a challenging work culture or felt like you’re not sure if you’re in the right place to work anymore?
This thinking is something that a lot of us struggle with (past me included).
When you’re in a toxic work environment, we often feel like we can fix the situation on our own if only we could do more. In reality this usually doesn’t work and we end up leaving or being let go which we can take very personally because our identity is tied up in our career.
Not only is it draining when you’re stuck in an environment that doesn’t work for you, but company culture impacts our mental health, can result in physical pain and memory problems to name a few.
There are some things that you can do to take care of yourself if you’re not in a position to leave right away.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast, I’m sharing why it’s so important that we talk about terrible bosses and toxic workplace culture and 4 things that are in your control in these situations, as well as how you can handle a painful ending to a job.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/109
During the podcast I mentioned Magic Mind and how it's been helping me to boost my energy. If you're interested in giving it a try head on over to https://www.magicmind.com/siobhan to secure your special discount with the coupon code: SIOBHAN20. -
Health and fitness matters…we all know that. Multiple studies speak to not just the physical benefits but the mental and emotional ones too. And yet finding the time and motivation to get healthy can be hard. Especially when you’re busy doing all the things at work and at home.
Personally, figuring out a routine to stay healthy and fit has been a journey. I’ve transitioned from team sports (netball) in my twenties and early thirties to needing to shift things up to do something else that fits in around my life with 3 kids and a business to run.
The answer for me was joining a female specific gym: Pherform (here in Hong Kong). My routine has become so much easier after joining a supportive gym environment, focusing on strength training and getting coaching to help me along the way. Not only do I feel physically strong, I feel the effects it’s had on my personal growth, self-awareness, confidence and habits in other areas of my life.
The woman behind Pherform is Steph Poelman. She is an incredible human with a passion for empowering women to push their edges around their health, strength and well-being.
Steph’s background is in HR, with experience managing over 9 multi-disciplinary fitness facilities around the world.
Now living in Hong Kong, Steph is the owner and managing director of Pherform, a female specific strength and conditioning gym. She was voted as one of Prestige Magazine’s 40 under 40 class of 2023.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast with Steph Poelman, we’re exploring how Steph achieved her goal to own a gym within 10 years of setting her intention. She shares so many juicy nuggets of wisdom from her own entrepreneurial journey, how she balances passion and professionalism, the role of fitness and strength training in personal growth and building confidence, creating habits and finding accountability in fitness programs, and much, much more.
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Have you ever made yourself wrong for being too emotional or sensitive at work?
Maybe you’ve had a difficult conversation, faced a micro-aggression or frozen on the spot…
In your mind you want to let things go but physically you find yourself unable to release the residual emotions that are there?
Emotional dexterity is the capacity to effectively recognise, understand and manage a wider range of emotions both within yourself and in others.
If you’re feeling disconnected from your emotions or your body, or perhaps you’re stuck in your head overthinking or in analysis paralysis, or even if you simply identify with being quite a sensitive person then emotional dexterity is a really important skill for you.
The skill of emotional dexterity is a complex one that encompasses empathy, emotional intelligence and the capability to maintain composure and make thoughtful decisions amidst challenging circumstances.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast, I’m sharing all about emotional dexterity and why it’s important for you, as an individual to develop and why I encourage organisations to foster environments where emotional intelligence and psychological safety are a given. I also share how you can start to build emotional dexterity to reap the benefits.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/107
During the podcast I mentioned Magic Mind and how it's been helping me to boost my energy. If you're interested in giving it a try head on over to https://www.magicmind.com/siobhan to secure your special discount with the coupon code: SIOBHAN20.
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We’re not taught at school how to think about our careers, or even the importance of taking the time to get to know ourselves.
To me, this is a foundational skill that is overlooked until we’re out in the workforce feeling overwhelmed trying to balance our passion and what makes us feel connected alongside the practical components of our career, like financial stability.
This intersection is what I like to refer to as the career sweet spot.
The intersection between passion and practicality that works for you.
If you’re feeling disconnected in your current role, unsure of your next steps or if you feel like you’ve been self-sabotaging and making things harder than they need to be in your career and need a path to feel good again, I’ve got you covered.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast, I’m sharing with you the 6 core elements that are required for you to build a roadmap that directs you towards your unique career sweet spot and the 5 steps you can take to step out of the confusion and overwhelm and dealing with your inner critic.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/106
During the podcast I mentioned Magic Mind and how it's been helping me to boost my energy. If you're interested in giving it a try head on over to https://www.magicmind.com/siobhan to secure your special discount with the coupon code: SIOBHAN20. -
Is the goal to always be productive?
Always being “on” and maximising our productivity sounds good in theory. Like it’s the right strategy that will get you closer to your end goal faster.
The reality is very different though.
We’re human. We need rest. Our brains have a finite attention span and ability to focus.
With that in mind, it’s important for all of us to be aware of what season we’re in. Whether that’s growth, a bit more work/life integration or reinvention. In this way we can ensure that we’re getting the rest we need and being purposefully productive.
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast, I’m running through a playbook so that you can manage your stress and optimise your energy by beginning with understanding the season of life that you’re in.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/105
During the podcast I mentioned Magic Mind and how it's been helping me to boost my energy. If you're interested in giving it a try head on over to https://www.magicmind.com/siobhan to secure your special discount with the coupon code: SIOBHAN20. -
If you’re like many of my clients, then I know you have the endurance to keep on pushing through, but I also know that pushing too hard for too long can come back to bite you in the form of burnout.
I don’t want that for you, and I’m sure that’s not the outcome you want either.
If you’ve been finding yourself juggling a million and one balls in the air, and you’re starting to drop one here or there or maybe you’re at the point that you’re struggling to keep any of them in the air - then you’re not alone.
There are reasons that this is happening to you and there are ways that you can reflect and uncover what it is that is holding you back from achieving the life you want - without having to constantly feel overwhelmed and on the edge.
These reasons often come from our subconscious programming, and things that we’ve internalised from society about what reasonable expectations are or what success looks like.
Ready to uncover yours?
In this week's episode of The Aligned Achiever Podcast, I share the 3 ways that I see high-achieving women making work and life way harder than it needs to be so that you can start to get on the front foot in your life.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/104 -
In a world where hustle culture is glorified and even rewarded, burnout has become an all too familiar companion for many people.
It’s easy to feel trapped in our beliefs that we're failing, if we're not enough.
We run a real risk of burning ourselves out if we don’t take a step back to ask whether the standards or expectations we are putting on ourselves are realistic.
Burnout is a silent societal epidemic that we need to address because it robs us of our passion, energy and joy, leaving us feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and disillusioned.
Burnout is so much more than simply feeling tired or stressed. It can have serious consequences on our physical, mental and emotional health even if we don’t realise it during the moment.
In this week's episode, I discuss the five reasons why we need to address burnout and the actions you can start putting in place today to help you thrive in a culture of overworking.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/103 -
International Women’s Day is upon us this week and this year’s theme is focused on inspiring inclusion.
According to the IWD website “When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.”
Whilst it’s great that we celebrate International Women's Day and the progress made, I believe that it is just as important for us to reflect on the challenges that persist for women in achieving a sense of inclusion within workplaces.
After all, it is one thing to feel inspired through these conversations and another to turn these initiatives into practical applications that truly support women to feel a sense of belonging and value in their workplace.
And to do this, we need to start by addressing the foundational and fundamental challenge that women are facing which is the silent epidemic of burnout.
I believe it’s important to consider the role that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging play within organisations in fostering a better sense of wellbeing for women which, in turn, results in increased retention rates and performance.
In this week's episode, we’ll explore the relationship between burnout and inclusion.
I address why burnout is not just a matter of personal well-being, but a crucial step towards fostering a more inclusive workplace and society for women. In particular, I dive into the 3 reasons why we need to look at burnout if we’re to inspire inclusion for women in the workplace.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/102
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Most of us have a running to-do list of “things” to get done. Not only at work but in our personal lives too. The mental load is real!
For me, as someone who works mostly from home, I’m a huge fan of maximising my time and making the most of any trips “out”. If I have a meeting in town, I’ll try to run an errand beforehand or go to that special supermarket to pick up that one item I can only get there on the way back home.
Sometimes, I put things off my to-do list for longer than I want to admit. And the emotional and mental load of the task ends up draining my energy.
Have you ever put something off your to-do list for longer than you want to admit? (Please tell me I’m not alone in this!)
For the longest time, I put off (re)organising my kids bedroom and play area. For some reason I was stuck in pinterest paralysis, analysing what the best wardrobe and toy configuration was…that is until I came across Nassim Secci from The Happy Space Co.
Even when I discovered her, I secretly stalked her Instagram for the longest time before finally deciding to invest in supporting myself to get the job done….
This week on the podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nassim to hear more about her journey from high flying corporate lawyer to starting her own professional home organising business, right here in Hong Kong where she and her team help busy professionals streamline and organise their physical spaces whilst create calm and ease in their mental spaces.
I asked Nassim on the podcast because her story of how she navigated her transition from litigation and international arbitration to reassessing her direction to found her own business, is a wonderful example of how to navigate a career transition for yourself.
All of our paths will be different but I hope you enjoy Nassim’s candid telling of her journey and how she discovered her path to aligned achievement.
For all the show notes come on over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/101 - Mostrar mais
