They’re burnt out because their nervous system has never learned how to pause.

 

Here’s the truth most won’t say out loud:

 

You can’t lead a high-performing team from a dysregulated state.

And your team is modeling your nervous system.

 

I learned this the hard way—after 16 years in corporate finance leadership, I left thinking it was the job.

 

But it was deeper than that.

 

I was leading from adrenaline, urgency, and outdated management paradigms.

 

Now, we teach executives to build nervous system regulation into their leadership strategy—because presence, clarity, and calm are what scale companies (and lives) sustainably.

 

Read the full blog HERE.

 

At The Amplified Life Company, we’re not calling you out.

We’re calling you up.

 

You want a high-performing team?

Be the high performer—starting with your nervous system.

 

Does this resonate with you today? Share your ideas in the comments below…

 

After years of leading, building, and pushing—there’s still a whisper in you:

 

 

But here’s what most high-performing leaders miss:

 

Your next level isn’t reached through more hustle.

 

It’s unlocked through self-awareness, nervous system intelligence, and visionary presence.

 

After 16 years in corporate finance leadership, I didn’t need another title.

I needed a new way to live and lead—without the constant proving, overworking, or running on fumes.

 

 

️What energy are you modeling for your team?
Your next level of leadership lives in:

 

And here’s the truth:

 

 

But no one rises alone.

 

 

At The Amplified Life Company, we work with leaders ready to scale their impact without sacrificing themselves. If you’re ready to transform how you lead—starting from the inside out—text “Amplify” to 503-386-2981 and let’s talk.

 

Your best chapter is here.

Let’s amplify it.

 

As I sat down with my book The Right to Write by Julia Cameron this morning, I began to think about the ability we each have to use our voices to deeply connect with others—both in life and in leadership.

 

For many years in my life and leadership, I believed my personal story wasn’t good enough to share. I thought I hadn’t gone through enough challenges to speak up. And in my leadership, everything was so planned, perfect, and practical—I said what I thought I needed to say instead of owning my voice.

 

I didn’t yet understand what it meant to have agency.

Agency over my story.

Agency over creative and innovative thinking.

Agency to truly connect, to richly and deeply impact others, and to invite them in—to a vision, to a movement, to a more meaningful way of living and leading.

 

And honestly?

That belief kept me good, but never great.

It kept me in the background.

It kept me mediocre—never dynamic, charismatic, or exceptional.

 

 

Over the past decade, I’ve shared my story. I’ve practiced storytelling. I’ve led with thought leadership. And I’ve used my voice—not to call people out, but to call them up. To invite them into something bigger than themselves. To be the one to show the world how truly great life can be.

 

We all have a voice. We all have a story. And deep down, we all want to share our story to be seen and heard—ultimately, to feel connected.

 

When we apply storytelling through a leadership lens, we add another layer—an invitation. An invitation for others to join our vision, to be part of something bigger than themselves, to make a difference, to use their unique gifts, and to connect deeply and richly with others.

 

So what place does storytelling have in leadership?

Storytelling is the most powerful way to share your thought leadership. Thought leadership differentiates you and sets you apart in the market. It evokes emotion in others that draws them closer—and instead of calling them out, it calls them up.

 

Storytelling + thought leadership is the new marketing in 2025.

It’s not just about making noise—it’s about creating meaningful resonance.

It’s about presence.

It’s about connection.

It’s about invitation.

 

 

 

One of the most powerful workshops we offer for executive teams is The Art of Public Speaking, where we teach storytelling as a catalyst for inspiration, motivation, innovation, and connection. It’s a game-changer for both internal culture and external impact.

 

Want to elevate your executive team and organization—while simultaneously creating real outcomes that sales and marketing cannot produce behind the scenes?

 

This is your new secret weapon.

 

We are booking The Art of Public Speaking workshops for May and June—3 dates available.

 

Let’s have a conversation about bringing this transformative workshop to your organization. Click HERE to book a call.

Let’s be real: Most executives wake up feeling like they are already behind.

 

 

You lead people. You manage performance. You set the tone.

 

But when’s the last time you modeled nervous system regulation instead of just talking about “stress management” like a corporate buzzword?

 

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

 

And if you’re constantly rushing, reactive, or running on fumes—guess what your team is learning?

 

That urgency equals importance.

That pushing through proves your worth.

That pause is a weakness.

That slowing down makes you less of a leader.

 

 

Before founding The Amplified Life Company, I spent 16 years in leadership in the finance industry. I was successful by every external measure, but behind the scenes, my nervous system was on overdrive.

 

I thought it was the job.

But in hindsight, it was how I was leading.

I was still operating from outdated management paradigms:

 

Which outdated paradigm can you relate to?  At times in my career, I could relate to each of them.

 

I wasn’t lacking ambition. I was lacking awareness.

 

That’s why today, we teach executives and high-performing leaders to build nervous system nourishment into their leadership strategy. Not as self-care fluff—but as a core leadership tool.

 

 

Below are 4 small but mighty moments that create space between stimulus and response – allowing you to lead from clarity instead of cortisol, and from presence instead of pressure:

These habits support parasympathetic activation, reduce cortisol, and create the clarity required for confident, strategic decisions and the fuel for creativity and innovation.

 

“Your nervous system will always choose familiar chaos over unfamiliar peace—until you learn to heal and choose differently.” – Melissa Blynn

 

So let me ask you:

 

 

At The Amplified Life Company, we’re not calling you out.

We’re calling you up—to a new leadership paradigm.

One that’s clear. Visionary. Regulated.

And built to last.

 

 

Traveling from Boston to Portland, Oregon, I naturally woke up just before 4 a.m.—thanks, circadian rhythm. I laid in bed, prayed, meditated, and eventually decided to get up. I went through my morning rituals and, feeling starved, grabbed some breakfast at the Residence Inn. It’s usually solid: hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal—simple, nourishing.

 

Originally, I planned to head to the gym. But then a question that someone had asked me in Boston floated into my mind.

 

While I was there, I had the opportunity to teach over 75 emerging global leaders at Harvard about high performance—specifically, how to be a high-performing leader and build high-performing teams.

 

One of the delegates had asked, “Do you ever just go off schedule? Like, not be so strict and disciplined?”

 

It’s a great question, especially since one of our foundational beliefs at The Amplified Life Company is this: disciplines and systems are the true unlock to the freedom you seek in life.

 

And I still believe that.

 

I answered him honestly in the moment: Yes, I do go off schedule. In fact, I build white space into every day on purpose. So if I get a spontaneous idea, an urge to try something new, or an opportunity to serve in a different way—I actually have the capacity to do it.

 

That answer echoed in my mind as I contemplated my workout. I was running on just over four hours of sleep—a non-negotiable daily health habit for me—and something told me: don’t go to the gym today. Go outside and walk.

 

It wasn’t a thought. It wasn’t even a feeling. It was more like intuition—what some might call a “God nudge” or a whisper from the universe. So I listened.

 

Being from Miami Beach, I bundled up with layers, a beanie, and gloves, and set out for a walk along the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The wind cut through the buildings at first, but as I turned toward the river, things calmed.

 

That’s when I saw her.

 

A woman—wearing shorts and a tank top, in this cold—was dancing. She had a paddle in her hand and a huge smile on her face. There was a white vest on a bench nearby. She looked joyful, free.

 

I smiled, waved, and kept walking.

 

On my way back, she was still dancing. But now I noticed something else: other women. Fully clothed, like me, each carrying a single paddle. I was intrigued.

 

I approached two of them who were chatting and asked what was going on.

 

“It’s for the Dragon Boat Races,” one of them said. “We’re practicing today. Look over there—you can see the boats on the river!”

 

I’d never heard of Dragon Boat Racing before. But these women were clearly passionate. I kept walking, smiling at each person heading toward the launch site—each with their own paddle.

 

Back near the hotel, I noticed a small coffee shop with a handwritten sign: “Low-Impact Coffee Shop.”

 

I stepped inside—tiny, warm, seating for three people max. I asked the barista, Ryan, what “low impact” meant. He explained that they don’t use disposables. If you want a to-go coffee, you put down a deposit and take a reusable glass jar. You can bring it back, or keep it and reuse it.

 

Simple. Sustainable. Thoughtful.

 

Ryan mentioned he also owns a grocery store across town—also zero disposables. No plastic bags, no throwaways. Just fresh fruits, vegetables, and a commitment to low-impact living. I was about to ask him what inspired this path when another customer walked in.

 

“I’ll be back on Monday,” he said. “Come by if you want to talk more.”

 

I will. Because the hazelnut-pumpkin seed milk he recommended for my Americano? It was delicious. Probably something I’ll never find elsewhere. But now, I’ll look forward to it every time I return.

 

As I walked back to my hotel, I smiled. I had answered that Harvard delegate truthfully: I do go off schedule—but only because I build in the space and the structure to be able to.

 

That morning, I learned about Dragon Boat Racing, a coffee shop’s low-impact business model, and a new nut milk I didn’t know existed. But more than that, I was reminded of this:

 

 

So the next time you feel the nudge to go off-script, to say yes to something spontaneous—do it. But make sure you’ve built the margin in your day to allow it. Because that’s where life really happens.

 

Not in the dogmatic schedule.

 

But in the unexpected moments—where women dance in the cold with one paddle, and people change the world one coffee jar at a time.