Your Coach Charlene: Where purpose meets wellness, and whispers become movement

Charlene Johnson
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Feeling burnt out? For the nurses, healthcare workers, and anyone running on empty but hearing a whisper to step into your purpose, this podcast is for you. Join Coach Charlene for courageous conversations with inspiring trailblazers who answered when their moment chose them. Get the wisdom and tools to heal, thrive, and finally manifest your dreams. New episodes WEEKLY Subscribe now and let's turn your whispers into movements.

  1. FEB 13

    The Leadership Skill No One Teaches Nurses (But Every Great Leader Uses)

    What if the most powerful leadership skill in healthcare isn’t clinical expertise, but love? In this episode, Coach Charlene sits down with Darlene A. Cunha, MMHC, BSN, CENP-RN, WCSI, Caritas Coach and former Chief Nursing Officer, to talk about the leadership skill no one teaches nurses, but every great leader eventually learns. With more than four decades of executive nursing experience, Darlene shares how human-centered leadership, Caritas principles, and authentic presence can transform team culture, strengthen resilience, and improve patient outcomes. Together, we unpack why love in leadership is not soft or sentimental. It is precise, disciplined, and often requires courage. This conversation is for nurses, healthcare leaders, and anyone responsible for guiding teams through high-pressure environments. If you care about ethical leadership, staff retention, cultural humility, and building trust in healthcare systems, this episode is for you. Topics include:– Heart-centered leadership in healthcare– Love as a leadership competency– Caritas and human-centered care– Leading through conflict and difficult conversations– Building cultures of trust and belonging

    35 min

  2. JAN 16

    The Mindset Shift Every Provider Needs to Better Support Black Mothers

    In this video, Coach Charlene explores why humility matters just as much as knowledge in healthcare. Drawing from lived experience and clinical leadership, she unpacks the critical difference between cultural competence and cultural humility—and why humility must be a lifelong practice, not a checked box. She introduces the 5Rs Framework as a practical, reflective tool providers can use to strengthen trust, improve communication, and build more respectful, human-centered relationships with patients. This episode also highlights calmness as a core clinical competency, the role of self-awareness in patient safety, and how small mindset shifts can create safer, more meaningful experiences for the people we serve—especially in spaces where outcomes matter most. #CulturalHumility #BlackMaternalHealth #HealthcareProviders #PatientCare #HealthEquity #MaternalHealth #PatientSafety #MindfulHealthcare #NursingLeadership #CHAMPExperience

    16 min

  3. JAN 15

    What Every Black Mom Should Know to Feel Safe and Supported During Birth

    Pregnancy and birth should feel safe, supported, and respectful. In this video, Coach Charlene speaks directly to Black moms about how to find your voice, build trust with your provider, and advocate for your health every step of the way.You will learn how to ask the right questions, recognize when something does not feel right, and bring support into your care so you are not navigating this journey alone. This conversation is about empowerment, preparation, and honoring what your body is telling you.If you are pregnant, planning to be, or supporting a Black mother, this video is for you. Topics include Black maternal health, pregnancy advocacy, patient safety, doulas, midwives, postpartum care, and supportive birth experiences. #BlackMoms #MaternalHealth #PatientAdvocacy #PregnancySupport #birthpreparation

    18 min

  4. 12/13/2025

    Why Nurses Get Stuck In The "Zone of Excellence" (And How To Escape) w/ Lauren Leigh

    Are you good at your job but secretly burned out? In this episode, Nurse Practitioner turned Marketing Expert Lauren Leigh reveals why so many healthcare professionals get trapped in the "Zone of Excellence"—where competence and a steady paycheck keep you from finding your true purpose. Lauren shares her 15-year journey from the ER to the streets of Detroit doing harm reduction, and finally to launching her own agency, Transformative Ads. We discuss the reality of "doing more with less" in healthcare, how to identify your "Zone of Genius," and the specific marketing strategies clinicians need to build a profitable business. In this episode, we cover: Intro: Meet Lauren Leigh The reality of ER burnout: "Do more with less" The defining moment: Mortality and making the leap Advice for the stuck nurse: Self-care before the pivot The "Zone of Excellence" Trap vs. The "Zone of Genius" From bedside to business: Discovering Facebook Ads The Social Strategy RX: The S3 System for content Lauren’s 3 Wisdom Gems for new entrepreneurs About the Guest: Lauren Leigh is a Nurse Practitioner and the founder of Transformative Ads. She helps clinician entrepreneurs build profitable, purpose-driven businesses through high-level social media strategy and advertising.  Website: www.transformativeads.com  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-leigh-dnp

    23 min

  5. 12/13/2025

    "You Don't Have What It Takes" - Why I Almost Quit Nursing | Dr. Renee Thompson

    "You better think twice about whether or not you have what it takes to be a nurse." Those were the devastating words a preceptor said to Dr. Renee Thompson just two weeks into her nursing career. She went home that night and told her husband she was quitting. If it wasn't for one manager who intervened, the nursing world would have lost one of its most vital leaders. In this episode, Charlene sits down with Dr. Renee Thompson, the CEO and Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute, to discuss the silent epidemic of bullying in healthcare. With over 32 years of experience. from bedside to corporate, Renee reveals why nurses "eat their young," the critical mistakes leaders make when trying to fix toxic cultures, and why kindness must become the new norm.Connect with Dr. Renee ThompsonDr. Renee Thompson is the CEO & Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute. She works with healthcare organizations to cultivate a professional workforce by eradicating bullying and incivility. Website: HealthyWorkforceInstitute.comYouTube:    / rtconnections  LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/rtconnectionsPodcast: HealthyWorkforceInstitute.com/podcast Renee’s Books & Resources:Enough! Eradicating Bullying & Incivility in Healthcare (2015/Updated)Do No Harm Applies to Nurses Too!From Exhausted to ExtraordinaryShop Books: HealthyWorkforceInstitute.com/shop#NurseBullying #NursesEatTheirYoung #NurseLeadership #ReneeThompson #ToxicWorkplace #NursingBurnout #HealthcareCulture #NurseManager #NewGradNurse #nursing #nurseburnout #nurseentrepreneur

    28 min

  6. 11/14/2025

    How I Silence My Inner Critic: My Final Strategy for Nurse Burnout (Inner Coach vs. Inner Critic)

    Welcome to the final video of my series on nurse burnout! In this episode, I’m getting personal because we're talking about the real battlefield—the one inside your mind. Do you feel like your inner critic is louder than any praise? Or that burnout has become so personal, you feel like you're the problem? I want to remind you: You are not the problem; you are the solution. I believe that healthcare can shape you, but it should never define you. I'm here to help you recognize when that inner critic is driving and instead activate your "inner coach," which is filled with truth, values, and possibility. In this talk, I share my practical keys to: Self-Discovery: Figuring out who you are beyond your title. Self-Manifestation: Doing the work to strip away the false labels and become who you were intended to be. Daily Power Practices: Using affirmations and declarations to set your intention, reclaim your power, and build yourself up every single day. This isn't just an end; it's the beginning of your return to yourself. And if you want to continue this work, comment "Count me in" below! I'll add you to the interest list for my new 6-month virtual course, "Cultivating the Inner Coach," which starts in January 2026.

    19 min

  7. 11/07/2025

    Overcoming Burnout: Why Your Identity, Not Your Role, is the Key to Thriving

    Greetings, this is Coach Charlene. We’ve spent the last few weeks in a deep series on burnout , and I know so many of us are tired of just hearing the word. But I think it’s so important to keep talking about it, because sometimes you don't even know you're in it—you just have the signs. As nurses, physicians, and caregivers, our work isn't getting easier. That's why my role as the "wellness whisperer" is to help you hone in on taking care of you. You are your most valuable asset, and you must take responsibility for yourself first, not last. In this episode, I want to wrap up the series with a powerful truth: You already have what it takes to thrive. You were never meant to simply survive your shift. I'm here to help you lead your own healing, and we're going to focus on three core ideas: Your identity matters more than your role. I’ll guide you through the power of self-discovery to find out who you are beyond your title. Knowing who you are brings conviction and makes you unstoppable. Your joy is strategic and thriving is a choice. This isn't a reward; it's a vision you build one day at a time. You already hold the power. I want to show you that your true power doesn't come from your position, but from your presence, your peace, and your purpose. Join me for this final activation. It's time to protect your inner world , live aligned , and show up as the light you were made to be.

    20 min

  8. 10/31/2025

    How to Stop Emotional Contagion in Healthcare | Be the Thermostat, Not the Thermometer

    Are you a nurse, physician, or healthcare professional feeling the effects of burnout, frustration, and negativity in your workplace? That's "emotional contagion"—the silent transfer of moods and attitudes—and it can drain your energy and impact patient care. In this episode, we talk about why "what you carry affects what you create" and gives you practical tools to manage your inner climate. Learn how to stop absorbing the stress around you and start setting the emotional tone of any room you enter. In this video, you will learn: (01:03:04) What is emotional contagion and why is it so high-stakes in healthcare? (01:08:34) How burnout and emotional exhaustion directly fuel negative contagion on a team. (01:10:41) The key difference between being an "emotional thermometer" (reflecting the environment) and an "emotional thermostat" (setting the environment). (01:11:59) A 30-second "Quick Coherence" technique to reset your energy before entering a patient's room. (01:14:20) How to use "micro-resets" to ground yourself between difficult patient interactions. (01:15:50) How to choose your "emotional posture" with a powerful daily mantra. (01:17:26) A "5-Second Energy Check" to recalibrate your mood instantly. This video is essential for any healthcare worker, nurse, or leader who wants to protect their own well-being and create a positive, healing environment for their colleagues and patients. Connect with Coach Charlene's Community: Join the Substack community to ensure you take better care of yourself and continue to impact the lives that need you. Subscribe Here: https://coachcharlene.substack.com/ #EmotionalContagion #HealthcareWellness #NurseBurnout #BeTheThermostat #HeartMath #WellnessWhisper

    22 min
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Feeling burnt out? For the nurses, healthcare workers, and anyone running on empty but hearing a whisper to step into your purpose, this podcast is for you. Join Coach Charlene for courageous conversations with inspiring trailblazers who answered when their moment chose them. Get the wisdom and tools to heal, thrive, and finally manifest your dreams. New episodes WEEKLY Subscribe now and let's turn your whispers into movements.

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