What happens when your life looks perfectly fine on paper, but you're quietly trapped in a life or career that no longer fits?

This episode began with an email from a listener. She is accomplished, respected, highly capable, and yet she feels like she has no room to breathe, no time to think, and no idea how to get unstuck. She told us she feels weighed down by the golden handcuffs, unsure whether she can take a step backward in seniority, afraid of starting again, worried about losing flexibility, and pulled between gratitude for what she has and a growing sense that something needs to change.

These feelings are more common than most people realise. So today, we wanted to talk about what being stuck really looks like, why it happens to smart people with good careers, and how you can begin to loosen the grip without blowing up your life.

We unpack the emotional, financial, practical and psychological forces that keep people exactly where they are. From the sunk cost fallacy to confidence dips, cognitive load, the fear of making a wrong move, the weight of responsibility, and the false belief that flexibility and fulfilling work cannot coexist, this episode goes deep into the real barriers that make change so hard.

And then we talk through ideas and small, practical moves to help you start shifting things. Because getting unstuck is rarely one big leap. It is usually small, intentional changes that slowly make space for clarity, courage and choice.

Whether you are feeling trapped in your job, sitting in the discomfort of "fine", craving more fulfilment, or just needing permission to question the rules you have internalised, this conversation will meet you where you are and offer gentle ways forward.

• The reality of feeling stuck in your career
• Why cognitive load makes it impossible to plan a way out
• Finding micro-moments of time when life feels full
• The sunk cost fallacy and why your brain fights against change
• Golden handcuffs and the fear of going backwards
• Using the Backwards Budget to understand what you actually need
• Rebuilding confidence after a break or big life shift
• The devil you know and the myth that change is always riskier
• How to experiment, test ideas and make decisions with less fear
• Why small shifts are often more powerful than dramatic ones

If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!).

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Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps

In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with Emily Tsokos Purtill, former commercial lawyer and newly crowned award-winning novelist, whose debut book Matia just won the 2025 WA Premier’s Book Award for an Emerging Writer.

Emily’s story captures everything we talk about on Outlaws, the tension between safety and creativity, a career that looks great on paper but doesn’t fit anymore, and the quiet bravery of making space for the thing you’ve always wanted to do.

If you’ve ever wondered how to leave law for writing, or whether it’s too late to follow that creative itch you keep ignoring, this conversation is a beautiful invitation to rethink what’s possible.

We dive into:

– How Emily went from corporate transactions to fiction – Writing scenes in the car between school pickups – Why reading like a writer changed everything – The moment a publisher said “yes” and everything clicked into place – Letting go of productivity conditioning to create freely – What rejection taught her, and why it made her work better – Money, motherhood, and making unconventional choices – The surprising skills lawyers take with them into creative careers

In this episode

– Emily’s path from commercial law to becoming a published author – How to build a writing life when time is in short supply – The power of tiny creative acts – Why your first published book might not be your first written book – How legal skills translate surprisingly well into storytelling and publishing

To enter the competition for a copy of Emily's book, please go to www.outlawspodcast.com and sign up for our newsletter.

See more about Emily at https://www.emilytsokospurtill.com/

To buy her book https://amzn.to/44tlPyW

If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!).

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Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com

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Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What if taking time off wasn’t a luxury, but a smart, sustainable part of your career?

In this episode of Outlaws Escapes, Shayla and Kate chat with Kate Cranney, a scientist, artist and communicator who pressed pause on her career for eight months to travel, hike and cycle across some of the world’s most stunning landscapes.

From Patagonia to the Alps, Kate and her partner swapped meetings for mountains and discovered what happens when you stop working and start living deliberately. Her story isn’t about quitting everything and running away. It’s about designing a life that has space for rest, adventure and curiosity, and how that can actually make your work richer, too.

In this episode – The planning and mindset behind an eight-month career break – Living with less, and why simplicity can feel freeing, not limiting – How slow, physical travel builds patience, perspective and creativity – The real value of time off: clarity, confidence and courage – What “coming back” looks like after stepping away

🔧 Resources & Links

Kate's website -- https://katecranney.com/

Warm Showers -- https://www.warmshowers.org/

EuroVelo is a series of cycling networks all around Europe -- https://en.eurovelo.com/

Tim Minchin's address -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoEezZD71sc&t=1s

Ken Robinson's 'Finding your element' talk. I listen to this many times a year. I love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fbxRQgMlU

'The Gap' by Ira Glass, I love this, on the importance on putting out a body of work https://vimeo.com/85040589 and here is the full article https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-gap-by-ira-glass-9651a750408f?gi=655cd32905f6

Connect with Kate Cranney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katecranney

❤️ If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s overdue for a pause (or just needs permission to take one).

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Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What happens when a lawyer calls out the legal and corporate world for what it really is - often unhealthy, unsustainable, and quietly breaking people who care?

To launch Season 2, Shayla and Kate go international with UK-based lawyer, content creator and TEDx speaker Henry Nelson Case. After years of watching toxic behaviour get rewarded and burnout get normalised, Henry decided to stop pretending everything was fine - and start saying what everyone else was thinking.

From vomiting before work to going viral online, Henry has turned his lived experience into a platform that exposes the quiet damage of corporate culture - with humour, compassion and brutal honesty. His videos have reached millions, not because they’re flashy, but because they’re true.

In this conversation, Henry, Shayla and Kate dig into why law so often rewards overwork, how younger generations are refusing to play along, and what happens when someone finally says, “this isn’t okay.”

In this episode – The invisible toll of toxic workplaces and the myth of “just toughing it out” – What burnout looks like when you’re still performing well on paper – Why we keep mistaking exhaustion for excellence – How humour can break the silence on mental health in law – What Gen Z and younger lawyers are teaching the profession about boundaries and wellbeing – Why content can shift culture faster than any policy ever will

🔧 Resources & Links 🎥 Watch Henry’s TEDx talk on toxic masculinity and men’s mental health 📱 Follow Henry on Instagram, TikTok, Linkedin and Youtube for more of his corporate-law truth bombs or visit his website 🗣 Join the conversation in the Outlaws Podcast Facebook group

If you loved this episode... Share it with someone who’s quietly burning out under “business as usual.” Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us.

Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com

🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast

🎧 Hosted on Podbean

20 episodes. Countless conversations. One big Outlaw experiment.

In this special wrap-up episode, hosts Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer look back on Season 1 of the Outlaws Podcast, where career change, career pivots, and the pursuit of real career freedom were front and centre.

What started as two ex-lawyers chatting has become a community of professionals unlearning the rules, ditching the shoulds, and designing work-life balance that actually fits. Along the way, we’ve laughed a lot, learned even more, and gathered the kind of stories that remind you you’re not stuck, you’re just one experiment away from change.

Here’s what you’ll hear in the Season 1 finale: – The most downloaded episodes and why they struck a chord – Tiny experiments vs giant leaps: why the small stuff sparks big career pivots – The Backwards Budget and how it reframes money, worth, and freedom – Outlawbrary highlights from 4,000 Weeks to Tiny Experiments – The best guest quotes (hello, “discomfort is uncomfortable”) that made us laugh and rethink everything – What’s coming in Season 2: imposter syndrome, decision-making, Outlaws going international, and more

Whether you’re contemplating a career change, testing out a side hustle, or just craving better work-life balance, this wrap-up will give you a boost of courage and a peek at what’s next.

If you’ve loved Season 1…

Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it helps more Outlaws find us!

Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com

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Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: contact@outlawspodcast.com

Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

Sleep isn’t wasted time. It’s the secret weapon for clarity, creativity, resilience - and not being permanently cranky. And if you’re not getting enough, it is probably making you sick. But in a world where pulling an all-nighter is treated like a badge of honour, no wonder so many of us are exhausted.

In this episode, Shayla and Kate talk to Alicia Visser, clinical psychologist, HeartMath® trainer, and founder of Becoming Conscious. With almost two decades of experience working with trauma, resilience, and wellbeing, Alicia explains why sleep is more than rest - it’s a biological need that protects your brain, body, and even your career.

From late-night doomscrolling to the “I’ll catch up on sleep later” myth, they explore: – How stress and cortisol mess with your sleep cycles – Why sleep and productivity are deeply connected – The truth about burnout and 3am wakeups – Practical ways to reset your body and finally get better sleep – Why choosing rest is the most rebellious, Outlaw move you can make

If you’re tired of being tired, this episode will show you how to get better sleep, why it matters, and how prioritising rest can actually make you sharper, healthier, and more effective at work and in life.

This episode is for you if: – You lie awake at 3am replaying that awkward email – You think “sleep is for the weak” but secretly feel wrecked – You’ve ever worn exhaustion like a badge of honour – You’re ready to treat sleep as a superpower, not an afterthought

🔧 Resources & Links Learn more about Alicia Visser and her work at Becoming Conscious Try out HeartMath® techniques to rewire your stress and improve sleep - https://www.heartmath.com/quick-coherence-technique/ https://www.heartmath.com/science/#

Get in touch with Alicia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciavisser/ or https://www.instagram.com/becomingconscious.au/

Website launching soon: http://www.becomingconscious.au/

If you loved this episode... Share it with your colleague who brags about working on four hours’ sleep. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it helps more Outlaws find us!

Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com

📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks

Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: contact@outlawspodcast.com

Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

Breathwork. Can sounds a bit woo woo, right? Even Alicia thought so, until it became the one thing that helped her crawl out of burnout and rebuild her life.

In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with Alicia Snijders, a former corporate lawyer who spent eight years chasing promotions and pay rises, only to end up bone-tired, wired, and wondering who she was without her job title. After a traumatic turning point, Alicia discovered that the most basic thing we all do, breathing, was the key to recalibrating her nervous system and starting over.

Together, they dive into:

– Why a lawyer with a “perfect” CV still felt like a failure inside – How trauma and burnout became Alicia’s unexpected teachers – Breathwork explained (and why it’s more science than incense) – The grief, shame and identity loss that comes with leaving law – Why change doesn’t have to mean blowing up your whole life and how small steps matter

Whether you’re secretly gasping for air in a job that looks good on paper, or just curious about how something as simple as breathing can change your life, this episode proves you don’t have to wait for a crisis to start listening to your body.

Resources & Links

Connect with Alicia

Instagram

🎧 Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com

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Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: contact@outlawspodcast.com

Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this Outlawbrary episode, Shayla and Kate dive into Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. It’s part science, part storytelling, and part permission slip to ditch the pressure of big, shiny goals in favour of curiosity-led experiments.

Anne-Laure’s journey from Google to neuroscience brings a practical and deeply human perspective on how to live and work with more freedom. She reminds us that uncertainty isn’t failure, but fertile ground for discovery.

From liminal spaces to cognitive scripts, from curiosity over passion to rewriting the “shoulds” that hold us back, this book (and this conversation) is a toolkit for anyone ready to stop chasing goals that don’t fit and start designing life on their own terms.

In this episode – Why tiny experiments are more powerful than big goals – How curiosity can replace clarity when you don’t know your “purpose” – What neuroscience can teach us about uncertainty, fear, and growth – The role of pacts: simple, repeatable actions that move you closer to what matters – A Chinese parable that reframes failure, luck, and growth

Resources & Links

📖 Book: Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Talk by Anne-Laure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs2jR38lcWg

Book: Big Magic: Creative Living without fear; Elizabeth Gilbert

🎧 Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com

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Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: contact@outlawspodcast.com

Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer