In this episode, we explore one of the most overlooked truths about career advancement:

👉Nothing changes when you think about it. Everything changes when you decide.

High performers believe they need more clarity, more information, more certainty before they move.

But that belief is costing you more than just time, it’s costing you authority, momentum, and the daily grind of second-guessing yourself. What is the real cost of letting this loop run for another six months?

But leaders know that clarity is created through commitment, not contemplation.

This episode reveals why overthinking is the mental version of overworking, why it keeps you attached to your old identity, and why your next level is activated not through effort, but through a single, grounded decision.

If you’re stuck in loops of analysis, doubt, or hesitation… you don’t need to stop thinking. You just need a new frame for action. How could you step into your leadership right now, before you even finish this episode? This conversation holds the key to your breakthrough.

✨ Inside This Episode You’ll Discover:

• Why overthinking feels productive but keeps you stuck
• The hidden connection between overthinking and fear of visibility
• The identity shift from performer → leader
• Why high performers wait for clarity but leaders create it
• The energetic power of a decision and why it changes everything
• What really happens in your career when you choose the next level instead of thinking about it.

🔥 Reflection Question

Where are you delaying your leadership by overthinking?

Sit with this. The answer is usually the doorway to your next level.

💫 If You Loved This Episode…

When you listen to this episode, you will immediately stop protecting your old identity and feel the momentum shift. Take a screenshot, tag me on Instagram @thepowerhousecode, and share your biggest insight. Your message might just be the activation someone else needs.

References:

• ElevateYou Program: www.thepowerhousecode.com/waitlist2025

Connect with Samantha:

• Website: thepowerhousecode.com
• Instagram: @thepowerhousecode
• LinkedIn: Samantha Van Hoof Flores
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepowerhousecode

What if the real question isn't "What do I need to do?" but "Who do I need to be?" Most people focus on doing more, learning more, and getting another degree. But that's what keeps you stuck on the career treadmill—going faster but getting nowhere.

In this episode:

• Why asking "What do I need to do?" keeps you stuck
• The power shift from doing to being
• How to embody your next-level self before you get there
• The backpack metaphor: What you need to unlearn to rise
• Why unlearning is more powerful than learning more

Ready to get off the treadmill? Stop focusing on doing more. Start embodying who you need to be. Subscribe to Unlocked: Your Career by Design on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a five-star review, and share with someone ready to make this shift. Because lifting one woman lifts us all.

References:

• ElevateYou Program: www.thepowerhousecode.com/waitlist2025
• Ready to design your career intentionally? DM Samantha to explore your options: thepowerhousecode.com/contact

Connect with Samantha:

• Website: thepowerhousecode.com
• Instagram: @thepowerhousecode
• LinkedIn: Samantha Van Hoof Flores
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepowerhousecode

You know the moment. You've just finished a major project or gave it your all last year, and the praise is nowhere to be found. Instead, you get the review that lands like a punch. That familiar knot in your stomach flares up. The immediate urge to get defensive and dismiss the messenger kicks in. We’ve all been there, but what is the real cost of that reaction?

Here is the truth that you might not realize: that stinging feedback is rarely an attack, it’s a mirror. If you’re still avoiding that reflection, you are unconsciously blocking the path to your next opportunity. This episode reveals the secret mistake high-achievers make when they receive tough criticism.

In this episode, Samantha Flores unpacks the hidden value of negative feedback, and how to turn it into the single most powerful, untapped career accelerator you’ll ever have.

You’ll learn:

• Why the feedback that hurts the most often holds your biggest growth opportunity
• How to separate feedback from your identity, and use it as data
• The precise language senior leaders really mean when they give tough feedback (and how to respond to instantly gain respect)
• How to reframe feedback into actionable clarity that strengthens your presence and influence

This episode isn’t about learning to like negative feedback, it’s about learning to leverage it. Tune in now, and by the end of this episode, you’ll be actively seeking out the criticism that will fast-track your success.

References:

• ElevateYou Program: www.thepowerhousecode.com/waitlist2025

Connect with Samantha:

• Website: thepowerhousecode.com
• Instagram: @thepowerhousecode
• LinkedIn: Samantha Van Hoof Flores
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepowerhousecode