Work and Wellness

What if the exhaustion you're wearing as a badge of honour is actually the thing holding you back?
In this episode, I sit down with Shelley-Ann Pieterse, executive alignment coach, founder of Glimmer Coaching and former Managing Director at Accenture, to talk about one of the most important and least discussed distinctions in leadership — the difference between high performance and high functioning burnout. Because from the outside, they look identical.
Shelley spent over two decades at the top of one of the world's largest consulting firms before walking away to build something more sustainable. She brings the kind of hard-won, deeply personal perspective that only comes from having lived it. We get into the patterns she sees most in high-performing women, why ambition and wellbeing are not opposites, and what it actually looks like to lead with alignment rather than endurance.
This one will make you question whether you are truly performing or simply enduring.

Key Topics
The difference between high performance and high functioning burnout — and why they're so easy to confuse
Why exhaustion is not evidence of value and endurance is not the same as resilience
The patterns Shelley sees most in high performing women — perfectionism, hyper-independence and tying worth to achievement
What alignment actually looks and feel like in practice for a leader
A practical red, amber, green energy audit tool you can use this week
How to set realistic boundaries without losing your reputation for reliability
Why most people don't need a career change — they need a different relationship with themselves

About Shelley-Ann
Shelley-Ann Pieterse is an executive alignment coach and founder of Glimmer Coaching. She works with high-performing women and senior leaders to sustain success without sacrificing their wellbeing, drawing on more than 20 years of experience, including her time as Managing Director at Accenture.

Website: Glimmer Coaching
LinkedIn: Shelley-Ann Pieterse
Free self-awareness snapshot quiz available on her website

Keywordsleadership, burnout, high performance, wellbeing, boundaries, ambition, executive coaching, alignment, resilience, sustainable leadership

Last week I ran a workshop for a group of Year 11 girls on limiting beliefs, growth mindset and grit. And it might have been one of my favourite workshops I have ever run because I kept thinking, what would have changed for me if someone had taught me this at 16?
In this episode, I share what came out of that workshop, because the truth is, most of us as adults are still operating from beliefs we formed as teenagers or even younger. Beliefs about whether we're confident enough, whether we're leadership material, whether we have what it takes. And the most dangerous thing about limiting beliefs is that they don't feel like beliefs. They feel like facts.
This episode is about understanding where those beliefs come from, why our brain holds onto them so tightly, and the practical steps we can take to start rewriting them, because the identity you created at 15 does not have to be the prison you live in at 40.

Key Topics
Why limiting beliefs feel like facts rather than stories we tell ourselves
The science of learned helplessness and why we stop trying
How growth mindset and grit work together to create lasting change
Why growth mindset is not toxic positivity — and what it actually means
Angela Duckworth's grit equation and why effort counts twice
Practical steps to identify, challenge and rewrite your limiting beliefs
Keywordslimiting beliefs, growth mindset, grit, self-belief, confidence, resilience, neuroplasticity, mindset, leadership, personal growth

This one might ruffle a few feathers but it's a conversation worth having.
Does the way you present yourself actually impact how much you earn? The research says yes. And while I want to be really clear that I don't agree with the system — appearance should never determine opportunity or income — ignoring that the system exists doesn't make it disappear.
In this episode I get into the science behind what's known as the beauty premium, what the research actually shows about grooming and earnings, and why for women specifically this conversation goes beyond the individual. Because when more money sits in the hands of women, more gets reinvested into families, communities and broader wellbeing.
This episode is practical, honest and not about full glam every day. It's about using what's available to us intentionally so we can show up with more confidence, be taken more seriously and ultimately earn more.
Key Topics
The research behind the beauty premium and what it actually means for women's earnings
Why perception of competence and credibility is shaped by how we present ourselves
The internal wellbeing shift that happens when we feel put together
A simple three word style framework to build a consistent, polished look without overcomplicating it
Practical wardrobe tips and affordable brands that won't break the bank
Keywordspersonal presentation, confidence, women and money, career, earnings, self image, style, workplace, financial wellbeing, leadership

Self-awareness is everywhere right now in leadership conversations, personal development, therapy, coaching. And for good reason. But what if all that reflection is actually keeping you stuck?
In this episode, I get into the gap that nobody talks about enough — the space between knowing your patterns and actually changing them. Because most of the people I work with are already pretty self-aware. They can tell you exactly what they do under pressure, where they overthink, and what they default to when things get hard. But their behaviour? Often not much different.
Self-awareness is the starting point, not the finish line. The real work is what happens in the moment — when you're stressed, tired and overwhelmed and your brain is pulling hard towards the familiar. This episode is practical, neuroscience-backed, and ends with four concrete steps you can start today to turn what you know into how you actually show up.
Key Topics
Why self-awareness alone isn't enough — and what we're getting wrong about behaviour change
The neuroscience of why we default to old patterns under pressure
The difference between a knowledge gap and a behaviour gap
How to use if-then statements to pre-decide your response before pressure hits
Four practical steps to start changing one behaviour today
Keywordsself-awareness, behaviour change, leadership, neuroscience, high performance, habits, neuroplasticity, personal growth, mindset, emotional intelligence

Have you ever looked at your career on paper and thought — this should feel better than it does?
In this episode, I sit down with career and leadership coach Elaine Atkinson, founder of In Wonder Coaching, to talk about one of the most unspoken experiences in the workplace. The high performer who is hitting every target, trusted by their peers, and successful by every external measure but quietly feeling disconnected, unfulfilled, and unsure how they got here.
Elaine brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience and a deeply honest perspective, including her own experience of living this from the inside.
We talk about what it costs people when their work becomes their identity, why changing jobs rarely solves the real problem, and how to start building what Elaine calls the cake — that internal sense of self that doesn't crumble when the external validation disappears.
This one is for anyone who has ever pushed harder when they should have paused, or said yes when every part of them wanted to say no.

Key Topics
The invisible challenges high performers carry that nobody else can see
What happens when work becomes your identity and what it costs you over time.
Why changing jobs doesn't fix the problem when you're the common denominator.
The difference between a career ladder and a career map and why the map wins.
How to build internal confidence that doesn't depend on titles, promotions or praise.
Practical first steps if something feels off but you're not sure what to do next
Connect with Elanie at https://inwondercoaching.co.uk/
Keywords: career, high performance, burnout, identity, leadership, career clarity, psychological safety, self-awareness, fulfilment, career change