The Story I'm Telling Myself

Rita Ernst
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

The biggest thing holding you back is you. Every day, you tell yourself stories—some empower you, but others fuel self-doubt, fear, and limiting beliefs. Hosted by positivity influencer Rita Ernst, this podcast helps you rewrite your inner narrative, enabling you to build confidence, embrace vulnerability, and step into your full potential. Join inspiring conversations, learn practical mindset shifts, and start telling yourself a new, empowering story. Subscribe now!

  1. 4d ago

    Do I Have the Energetic Capacity for This?

    Are you showing up to work physically, but sitting at your desk running on total mental empty? In this episode of The Story I'm Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst welcomes consultant psychologist Tabby Kerwin to unpack the silent crisis of presenteeism and how we navigate loss in both life and career. Grab the episode companion activitation guide Tabby shares her deeply personal transformation after losing her father at sixteen and her husband Simon to cancer, revealing how grief isn't limited to bereavement—it stems from job loss, broken relationships, and major life shifts. While standard corporate policies treat loss as a short-term HR checklist, grief is actually a long-term mental health reality that temporarily changes your energetic capacity. Together, they challenge the toxic myth of "getting over it" and introduce a powerful mindset shift: growing with grief. Listeners will discover how to reframe emotional pain, stop masking to make others comfortable, and embrace emotional duality so joy and sorrow can coexist. Whether you are seeking a personal growth podcast, a mindset podcast for professional resilience, or a personal transformation podcast to reclaim your energy, this episode offers compassionate, actionable wisdom. Subscribe to this positivity podcast to learn how true connection and self-development can rewrite the stories holding you back. Connect with Tabby KerwinListen to her TEDx talkBooks available on Amazon: * The Three Ps: Possibility, Productivity & Performance* The Three Taboos: Cancer, Grief & Mental Health* The Way to PERFORM* The 7-Minute MorningComing in 2027: Widowhood Made Me HappierConnect with your host, Rita Ernst

  2. Sep 24

    Is There A Better Question You Should Ask?

    Are you exhausted from feeling like you have to be the all-knowing expert with every answer? Rita Ernst welcomes UK Chartered Occupational Psychologist and co-host of Truth, Lies and Work, Leanne Elliott. Together, they unpack why our childhood conditioning to "have the right answer" triggers the expert trap in modern business—and why AI is making raw knowledge work obsolete. Grab the complimentary episode activation guide. If you are seeking a personal transformation podcast that delivers actionable insights, this episode reveals how to pivot from fixing to asking "the better question." Drawing from her volunteer days with the Samaritans suicide helpline, Leanne explains why asking deep questions without giving advice builds genuine psychological safety and relationship capital. You’ll discover practical frameworks like the "Help, Heard, or Hugged" check-in, micro-journaling for self-coaching, and how to stop rushing to solve problems before understanding them. Tune into this positivity podcast and premier self-improvement podcast to replace burnout-inducing "command and control" with genuine human curiosity. Subscribe today to elevate your leadership journey. Connect with Leanne ElliottCheck out Leanne's podcast: Truth, Lies, & Work Connect with your host, Rita Ernst

  3. Sep 17

    Will You Wallow or Rise?

    When life pulls the rug out from under you, do you sink into the struggle or choose how you rise? Grab the companion episode Activation Guide. In this powerful episode of The Story I'm Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst sits down with inspiration specialist Russ Hedge. After spending years as a caregiver for his parents through Alzheimer’s and cancer, Russ received his own Stage 4 melanoma diagnosis just one week after his mother passed away. From emergency brain surgeries to severe physical setbacks, Russ shares how he transformed terminal news into an empowering movement of radical resilience and self-leadership. If you are looking for an impactful self-improvement or self-help podcast, this conversation delivers a masterclass in emotional ownership and personal transformation. Russ introduces the "Divine Equation" (Circumstances + Perspective = Experience) and explains why authentic positivity isn't about ignoring pain, but reclaiming control over your internal narrative. Key Takeaways & Frameworks: The C + P = E Formula: Why your perspective—not your circumstances—defines your total life experience.Avoiding Toxic Positivity: How to honor heavy emotions without wallowing in them.The Awesome Filter & RAS: Rewiring your Reticular Activating System through daily morning routines.Ditching the Victim Narrative: Reframing life's sucker punches into purpose-driven growth. Whether you need a mindset pick-me-up or actionable tools for your personal growth journey, this self-development episode will equip you to reframe your hardest moments. Connect with Russ and get his book, "Life Happens, Then You Choose"Connect with host Rita Ernst.

  4. Sep 10

    Are You Bad at Public Speaking?

    Are you secretly terrified of public speaking, hiding behind slides, scripts, and numbers, hoping nobody notices your hands shaking? You are not alone. In this episode of The Story I'm Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst sits down with storytelling expert John Elbing to dismantle the crippling anxiety that keeps so many of us standing in our own way. Grab the companion episode activation guide here As a premier personal growth podcast, we dive deep into how stage fright can be transformed into a professional superpower. John shares his cringeworthy early career horror stories—including the exact presentation where the technology failed and the audience walked out one by one. He explains why standard advice like memorizing scripts or "imagining the audience naked" backfires. His breakthrough "Standpoint" framework shifts your focus from proving your own expertise to understanding your audience's struggles, so you can replace performance anxiety with deep connection. Listeners of our mindset podcast will learn actionable strategies to instantly bring ease to high-stakes situations. Whether you are looking for a self-improvement podcast to boost your career, a positivity podcast to rewrite your inner narrative, or a personal transformation podcast to silence your inner critic, this episode delivers the tools to overwrite narratives of shame and self-doubt. Stop living on autopilot. Subscribe to the ultimate self-development podcast and self-help podcast today, and join our community focused on growth and professional empowerment!Connect with John Elbing Grab John's book Connect with host, Rita Ernst

  5. Sep 3

    Is Your People-Pleasing Narrator Sabotaging You?

    Is your inner critic running—or ruining—your life? Grab the companion episode activation guide. Welcome to a transformative episode of The Story I'm Telling Myself, the go-to mindset podcast and positivity podcast hosted by Rita Ernst. In this episode, we sit down with 10-time Emmy Award-winning television producer turned storytelling strategist Valerie Gordon. As the author of Fire Your Narrator: A Storyteller's Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life, Valerie shares how she went from producing national TV stories to helping professional women master their own internal scripts. If you've been searching for a personal growth podcast or a highly tactical self-help podcast to spark a deep career shift, Valerie’s framework is your blueprint. She introduces us to "Squash"—her own snarky inner narrator—and exposes how different narrator types, like the burnout-inducing "striving narrator" and the over-accommodating "people-pleasing narrator," keep us playing small. This episode of our self-development podcast will teach you: The "We" vs. "Me" Success Trap: Why women default to collective credit and how to confidently own your individual impact. Reframing Conflict: Why shifting your vocabulary from "conflict" to "challenge" is the key to moving your plot forward. Starting at the Ending: How to visualize your optimal resolution and reverse-engineer the steps to get there. The Power of Sonder: Embracing the liberating truth that everyone is the main character in their own story, freeing you from their imagined judgment. Grab your headphones and learn to actively author your next great chapter!Connect with Valerie Gordon Grab her book: Fire Your Narrator: A Storyteller's Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life at Barnes & Noble or AmazonConnect with your host, Rita Ernst

  6. Aug 27

    Are You in Your Zone of Genius?

    Are you exhausted from shape-shifting to meet everyone else’s expectations? On this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita sits down with Humaira Akhter, a transformational coach who shares her powerful journey from growing up in Bangladesh to navigating the corporate validation trap. Grab the episode activation guide. If you are searching for a mindset podcast or positivity podcast that goes beyond surface-level advice, this raw conversation is your invitation to deep, lasting change. Humaira details how major turning points—from a close family member missing her wedding to a life-threatening medical emergency—led her to stop seeking external approval and finally look within. This episode is an essential guide for anyone seeking to break free from the hustle and grind culture. Key Takeaways: The Energy Test: Learn how to distinguish between physical fatigue and the deep mental exhaustion of corporate misalignment. Reclaiming Your Strengths: Discover how your deepest childhood vulnerabilities hide your greatest superpowers. The Red Thread Process: Unpack Myra's signature workbook framework—mapping your life into five distinct chapters to uncover the connective tissue of your true identity. Whether you treat this as a personal growth podcast, a self-development podcast, or a roadmap for personal transformation, you’ll walk away with actionable steps to uncover your Zone of Genius and live with unfiltered conviction. Connect with Humaira Akhter Take Humaira's Red Thread Quiz CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST RITA ERNST

  7. Aug 20

    Are You Listening to the Fail Moments?

    Stop micromanaging and start thriving in a culture of commitment. Grab the episode activation guide In this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita Ernst sits down with Sabrina Parsons, CEO of Palo Alto Software, to dismantle the myth of the "perfect resume." After people with the "perfect resume" were leaving while other new hires were thriving, Sabrina and her leadership team got curious and started studying the data. What they learned flipped the lens on her leadership and hiring practices. Key Takeaways include: The Framework for Freedom: How to implement a "test-and-learn" culture using the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach.Mindset over Credentials: Why hiring "interesting, smart people" beats a perfect resume every time.The Power of "No": Turning failure into a high-margin return on investment by learning from expensive mistakes.Radical Transparency: How sharing financials builds an ownership mindset in your team.Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a leader on the rise, this mindset podcast offers the tools for personal growth and self-development. Subscribe to this self-improvement podcast for your weekly dose of positivity and professional evolution. Connect with Sabrina Parsons Connect with your host, Rita Ernst

  8. Aug 13

    Are You Just Checking the Box on Healing?

    Are you "checking the boxes" of self-care while your nervous system is actually in a state of freeze? Grab the companion episode activation guide In this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, Elsa Valentine—an entrepreneur, artist, and coach—shares her personal transformation from scaling a high-growth nutrition brand to experiencing a total physical shutdown at the height of her success. This mindset podcast dives deep into the difference between simply "managing" your body and actually building a relationship with it. As a premier personal growth podcast, we explore why "ticking the box" on mental health is a myth and how an unhealed nervous system can cap your professional potential. Elsa reveals her framework for personal development, introducing her neuroscience-based app, Innate, which facilitates a powerful dialogue between your past, present, and future selves to identify triggers and find perspective. You will learn actionable steps for self-improvement, including cognitive reappraisal and widening your window of tolerance through curious awareness rather than judgment. If you are looking for a self-help podcast that goes beyond superficial positivity to find true empowerment, this conversation on self-development and authentic leadership is for you. Stop resisting your internal signals and start reclaiming your agency.Check out Elsa's new company, innate.love and instagram Connect with your host, Rita Ernst

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About

The biggest thing holding you back is you. Every day, you tell yourself stories—some empower you, but others fuel self-doubt, fear, and limiting beliefs. Hosted by positivity influencer Rita Ernst, this podcast helps you rewrite your inner narrative, enabling you to build confidence, embrace vulnerability, and step into your full potential. Join inspiring conversations, learn practical mindset shifts, and start telling yourself a new, empowering story. Subscribe now!

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