Taking Back Monday
Welcome to "Taking Back Monday," the podcast designed for the go-getters, the visionaries, and the trailblazers who are ready to say "goodbye" to the Sunday Scaries and lead the way in creating meaningful work.
We talk about building high-performance teams, enhancing leadership skills, and creating impactful customer relationships.
It's time to say "goodbye" to the Sunday Scaries.
Episodes
74 episodes
You Can’t Be Every Tree in the Forest: The Power of Niching Down feat. Dr. Munira Zahabi
When Alyssa sat down with Dr. Munira Zahabi, known as The Niche Navigator, the conversation quickly turned to one of the hardest lessons for any entrepreneur - you can’t be everything to everyone.Munira shares how her own career...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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26:35
Leading Without Triggers: The Science of Calm Communication feat. Dr. Dee Trudeau Poskas
In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Dr. Dee Trudeau Poskas to talk about how understanding your triggers can change the way you lead. They explore what happens in your brain when you’re under stress, how language shapes influence, and why se...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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26:30
Why Passion Isn’t Enough: Build a Life Around Meaning, Not Motivation feat. Alan Lazaros
When Alan Lazaros says passion isn’t enough, he means it. In this conversation, Alyssa and Alan dive deep into what it really takes to live a meaningful life, not just a busy or successful one. From near-death experiences to redefining what wor...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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31:02
You Are Not Your Job: Redefining Success Beyond Titles feat. Angie Callen
In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Angie Callen, a self-described “recovering engineer who loves people,” to talk about the pressure we all feel to define ourselves by what we do instead of who we are. Angie shares how she walked away from ...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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27:09
Leadership Is a Skill, Not a Personality Trait feat. Jen Silva Boucher
What if leadership isn’t something you’re born with? In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Jen Silva Boucher to explore why leadership is a skill you can learn, practice, and grow.Jen shares her own origin story of moving from individua...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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26:22
When Following Your Passion Means Letting Go feat. Renee Murphy
What happens when the dream career you built turns into the very thing that drains your joy? In this episode, Alyssa talks with Renee Murphy about leaving behind a successful career in fashion to find peace, purpose, and a new passion in scienc...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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34:35
Belonging Starts with Language feat. Lori Baker
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa sits down with Lori Baker to talk about language, belonging, and the hidden barriers people face at work. Lori went from engineer to English teacher for international professionals, and her story sh...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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24:22
Big Decisions Beat Habits: How to Change Your Life Trajectory feat. Apollo Emeka
Alyssa sits down with Dr. Apollo Emeka for a powerful conversation about the choices that shape our lives. Apollo shares his journey from high school dropout to Green Beret, FBI agent, entrepreneur, and coach. Together, they explore why big dec...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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32:37
Booked, Not Busy: Why Strategic Rest Fuels Better Leaders feat. Dr. Erin Wilson
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa sits down with Dr. Erin Wilson, co-author of Strategic Rest in Leadership. Together they dive into why rest isn’t a luxury...it’s a leadership strategy. From Erin’s own story of bu...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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28:15
When Leadership Protects Comfort Over People feat. Kimberly Harden
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Dr. Kimberly Harden to explore a hard truth: too many leaders build for their own comfort instead of building real connection. Kimberly shares her experiences in corporate ...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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27:00
When Being a Badass Becomes a Burden feat. Kirstin Carey
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Kirstin Carey to explore what happens when your strength becomes your biggest obstacle. From growing up in a “walk it off” culture to burning out while helping others heal, Kirs...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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29:32
Visibility Is the Real Currency feat. Christelle Biiga
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Christelle Biiga - speaker, coach, and founder of Exposure Maven - to explore the unexpected power of visibility and the journey that led her to podcasting as a pa...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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31:36
You Don’t Have to Earn Rest feat. Johanna Sanchez
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Johanna Sanchez to talk about what it really means to build a business—and a life—on your own terms.From working 70-hour weeks in child protection to building a ...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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22:58
Unreasonable Belief: What It Really Takes to Bring an Idea to Life feat. Jenny De Leon
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Jenny De Leon—IT consultant, reluctant inventor, and founder of Repeatable Travel Systems—to unpack what it really takes to bring an idea to life...especially when no o...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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25:51
Stop Waiting to Be Chosen feat. Andrea Mohamed
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Andrea Mohamed, co-founder of Quantum Bloom, to explore what it really takes to build a career, and a company, on your own terms.From boldly quitting her boss (but not t...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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32:06
Heart-Brain Hacks for Better Leadership feat. Natalie Alesi
What if the key to better leadership isn’t another tool or framework, but your own nervous system? In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Natalie Alesi unpacks the science behind heart-brain coherence and how leaders can use it to build trust, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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28:23
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Stop Chasing Customers, Start Attracting Them feat. Charles Browne
What if your customer growth problem isn’t a product issue but a people one?In this episode, Alyssa Nolte sits down with leadership strategist Charles Browne to unpack why so many organizations chase the wrong customers, build bloated o...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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36:41
Santa in the Bushes and Other Lessons in Letting Go feat. Rebecca Link
What do falling holiday decorations, dirty dishes, and single parenthood have in common? For Rebecca Link, they became unexpected metaphors for letting go of perfection, surviving the unimaginable, and rewriting the rules of leadership....
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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26:20
The Death of Coffee’s for Closers: Helping Beats Hustling feat. Tom Whalen
Tom Whalen didn’t set out to be in sales - he just needed a job. Fast forward a few decades, and he’s built his entire career (and even a college course) around it. In this episode, we talk about how modern sales has evolved past cheesy scripts...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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25:47
Whole-Ass People: The Case for Purpose at Work and at Home feat. Luisa Anderson
What do immigration law, spiritual awakenings, and Zoom meetings have in common? For Luisa Anderson, they all revealed one truth: we’re not meant to live fragmented lives. In this episode of Taking Back Monday, we talk about what it me...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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22:50
Soft Skills, Big Impact: Leadership Lessons from the Wiz feat. Tajiri Brackens
What does it take to build a workplace people actually want to be part of? Dr. Tajiri Brackens - aka the Workplace Wizard - joins us to unpack the underrated power of soft skills, intentional energy, and relationship-driven leadership. From dec...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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27:33
Talk Less, Lead More: Building Rapport and Real Influence feat. Scott Harvey
What do hostage negotiation and leadership have in common? A lot more than you'd think. In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Scott Harvey shares what 20 years in law enforcement taught him about communication, influence, and why good leadersh...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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26:46
The Courage to Take Back Your Life with Pamela Dale
In this episode, Pamela Dale and Alyssa Nolte dive into why the dreaded “Sunday Scaries” are just a symptom of a larger problem: a work-life system that values conformity over individual fulfillment. Pamela shares her journey—from teaching ESL ...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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30:23
Redefining Hustle: Why Productivity Starts with Protecting Your Energy feat. Bob Mathers
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, Alyssa sits down with Bob Mathers—Customer Success coach, keynote speaker, and host of The Growth Mixtape—to talk about what happens when life forces you to rethink work. From personal wake-up calls to the...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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25:36
Why Hierarchies Kill Innovation: Focusing on Culture Isn't Enough feat. Dawn Holly Johnson
In this episode of Taking Back Monday, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with transformation strategist Dawn Holly Johnson to unpack why traditional hierarchies are crushing innovation—and what to build instead.With over 20 years of experienc...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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34:08
