The March conversation opens with pizza, Chicago, and a surprising detour into one of the city’s most ambitious architectural dreams. Kristin, Tim, and Denise use the story of the Chicago Spire to explore what it feels like to begin something with excitement and momentum, only to hit the slow, heavy middle where enthusiasm fades. The Spire was announced in 2005 with enormous hype, billed as the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere. By 2007, the foundation was poured, and 370 units had already been sold. It becomes the perfect metaphor for March, the month when most resolutions lose steam, and the shine of new beginnings starts to dull.

From there, the conversation shifts into the emotional reality of the “middle zone,” that place where intentions are no longer new and the work becomes harder to sustain. Kristin shares her experience writing her first book, now deep in the editing process and at the 85 percent mark, where, as her editor told her, most writers quit. Tim and Denise reflect on their own creative and professional projects, describing the fatigue that comes from revisiting the same work over and over until the words blur and the motivation thins. Together, they name the truth many people feel but rarely say out loud: the middle is where doubt creeps in, where perfectionism stalls progress, and where persistence matters most.

The episode closes when Kristin encourages listeners to recognize the middle zone for what it is: a normal, predictable part of any meaningful effort, and to push through it with intention. The Chicago Spire story returns as a cliffhanger, a symbol of what happens when momentum stops too soon and a teaser for what comes next. It is a playful yet powerful invitation to stay the course, even when the excitement fades.

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Follow Kristin Johnson on her website, KristinJohnsonSpeaks.com