Are you ready to stop sprinting toward the end of the year and instead lean into the magic of the in-between?

In this solo episode, host Erica Rooney challenges the traditional "hustle harder" holiday advice. She encourages you to view this time as a refractory period—a natural exhale before the big inhale of 2026—and gives you radical permission to slow down and be present.

Erica reveals her secret to managing the season's chaos: strategically using AI to clear the clutter, protect her energy, and free up her mental load so she can focus on the moments that truly matter.

Inside the Episode:

• The Refractory Pause: Why you should stop viewing the holidays as a sprint to the finish line and instead embrace the season's slower rhythm as a necessary time for rest and self-reconnection.
• Permission to be Present: A call to action to stop doing all the things you think you "should" do and start doing the things that genuinely matter to you (like sitting on the couch or baking horrific cookies).
• AI for the Invisible Labor: Erica demonstrates exactly how she uses simple AI prompts (like Chat GPT or Google Gemini) to eliminate time-consuming planning and mental clutter:
  • Magical Meal Planning
  • Creative Gift Ideas
• The Calm December Prompt: The specific AI prompt Erica used to design a weekly rhythm that prioritized feeling calm, intentional, and grounded, while carving out dedicated time for connection, rest, and joy.
• Protecting Your Energy: Why using AI is not about replacing humanity, but about clearing the invisible labor and protecting your mental energy so you don't lose your balance (or your shit) on those you love.

If you’re ready to ditch the guilt and use modern tools to move through the holidays with clarity, grounding, and magic, this episode is your essential guide.

🔗 Resources:

• Join the community for support, coaching, and tools to free up your mental energy: DM Erica for a link to Her Collective.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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What if the ultimate key to professional success and unlocking your full potential isn't external competition, but the internal wisdom gained from managing your mind and emotions?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, host Erica Rooney sits down with Meredith Haberfield, CEO and Founder of Think Human. With a unique background blending molecular biochemistry, executive leadership, and even Whitewater River guiding, Meredith proves that igniting transformational change in innovative companies requires blending social, psychological, and neurological science.

Join them as they explore why focusing on internal growth is the only way to overcome the "sticky floors" of people-pleasing and self-doubt, and how to use the science of your brain to make courageous leadership feel less scary.

Inside the Episode:

• From Biochemistry to CEO: Meredith shares her fascinating journey, explaining how her early experiences as a Whitewater River guide and her research on stress hormones and the immune system shaped her understanding that human behavior isn't dictated by logic.
• The People-Pleasing Trap: The most common "sticky floor" Meredith sees with high-achieving women: using external validation (like a boss's approval) as a food source, and how to disconnect from that need to author your own path.
• Time-Bound Sacrifices: Powerful advice for women making sacrifices for their team: why you must put a time boundary around those sacrifices to prevent them from becoming an ugly, permanent reality.
• Intentionality Over Anxiety: A discussion on the difference between intention (which speaks in statements) and anxiety (which speaks in questions), and how to create a clear picture of what you're aiming for to mobilize the subconscious brain.
• Blind Spot Hunting: A counter-intuitive approach to uncovering your hidden flaws. Learn why you must get "excited about seeing the ugly stuff" and approach your self-judgments with compassion and curiosity, much like a detective.
• The Stretch Zone Advantage: The scientific reason (apoptosis) why operating in your stretch zone—just outside your comfort zone—is not only beneficial for mental growth but actively optimizes your physical immune system.
• The Fire-Fueling Reaction: What to do immediately after a professional failure or rejection: commit to a "boatload of action"—do 10 small things right now—to spark new possibilities and avoid the narrative of failure.

If you're ready to stop waiting for external validation and unlock the internal capabilities needed to lead with unparalleled clarity and courage, this episode is your scientific playbook.

🔗 Resources:

• Learn more about Meredith Haberfield and her leadership development programs at think-human.com.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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What if the secret to building an authentic, successful career isn't a linear path, but embracing the chaos of a playground model and leveraging your most human qualities?

In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, Erica Rooney sits down with Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Management at Atlassian and author of the upcoming book, Human-Centered Marketing, How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI. Ashley brings a fresh perspective, blending her deep expertise in marketing and technology with her background in musical theater and vocal performance.

Join them as they explore how the empathy skills of a theater kid translate directly into high-level business strategy, and how women can build true trust, authority, and influence using Ashley's four pillars of thought leadership.

Inside the Episode:

• The Theater Kid to Tech Leader Pipeline: Ashley reveals the surprising synergy between musical theater and marketing, explaining how stepping into a character's shoes directly translates into high-level audience empathy and strategic business connection.
• The Problem with "Bright Girls": A discussion on why the linear structure of traditional education is a disservice to high-achieving women, leading them to believe that career snags mean they're "not smart."
• The Career as a Playground: Why the traditional career funnel doesn't work and how to view your professional journey as a playground where you can climb the slide or use skills in "the wrong way" (e.g., a lateral move) for massive long-term growth.
• The Checkers vs. Chess Promotion Rule: Critical advice for ambitious women on how to play the "smart game of checkers" for 12 months after a promotion, avoiding the frustration of unrealistic growth expectations in large companies.
• The Four Pillars of Thought Leadership: Ashley breaks down her framework for building influence: Credibility, Profile, Being Prolific, and Depth of Ideas. Learn which pillar is likely your weakest point and how to strengthen it.
• Building Trust in the Age of AI: The three essential human elements (Logic, Empathy, and Authenticity) that are critical for building genuine trust and authority when the digital world is flooded with AI-generated content.
• The Minimum Viable Action (MVA): A practical strategy for managing your energy and relationships, maintaining a "warm" baseline (e.g., a quick text) so you don't always have to start from zero.

If you're ready to embrace a non-linear career path and use your innate human connection skills to build lasting influence and authority, this episode is your strategic guide.

🔗 Resources:

• Connect with Ashley Faus on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.
• Find her book, Human-Centered Marketing, How to Connect with Audiences in the Age of AI, wherever books are sold.
• Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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