This Wasn't My Plan

Ashlee Hayes
  • 4.8 (9)
  • Careers
  • Updated Weekly

This Wasn’t My Plan is the career podcast for high-achievers who’ve checked all the boxes (and done all the right things!) but still feel something’s missing. Hosted by Career Strategist and Performance Consultant and Advisor, RX Ashlee, it’s your no-BS roadmap to redefining success on your terms. Whether you’re pivoting, scaling your business, or ready for work that works for you, this show delivers sharp strategy, smart scripts, and real talk. No fluff, no filler, just focused guidance to help you lead, own your voice, and win with intention.

  1. 4d ago

    Burnout to Blueprint: How Dr. Jen Bourgeois Built a Business by Healing Herself First

    Guest Episode 6: Burnout to Blueprint: How Dr. Jen Bourgeois Built a Business by Healing Herself First In this episode, Ashlee welcomes Dr. Jen Bourgeois — pharmacist, nervous system expert, and founder of Peacefully Rich Coaching and Consulting — for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, identity, and what it actually takes to build a life by design. Jen shares how a decade of high-achieving corporate healthcare leadership led her to a breaking point, what she learned on the other side of it, and how she now helps high-performing founders and leaders scale their income and impact without sacrificing their health, relationships, or presence. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why high-achieving women are specifically wired for burnout — and what the physiology actually looks like inside the body * How Jen went from burned out community pharmacist to nervous system expert and founder of Peacefully Rich Coaching and Consulting * Why the belief system that took you into burnout is not the same one that will bring you out of it * Why success does not require sacrificing what matters most — and what it looks like to build a life that actually fits ABOUT DR. JEN BOURGEOIS Dr. Jen Bourgeois is a nervous system expert, pharmacist, and founder of Peacefully Rich Coaching and Consulting. After 17 years in corporate healthcare leadership and her own experience with burnout in 2019, she spent years studying the science of the nervous system and its impact on leadership and success. Today she helps high-performing founders and leaders build the internal capacity to scale income and impact sustainably — without sacrificing their health, relationships, or presence. Connect with Dr. Jen: * Website: https://www.drjenbourgeois.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjenbourgeois * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenbourgeois KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) Jen's original plan — and the decade that led to burnout * (06:00) What burnout actually looks like physiologically — and why the labs all come back normal * (14:00) Why high-achieving women are statistically more susceptible to burnout — and the physiology behind it * (37:00) What Jen would tell her 2019 self — and the permission she wishes someone had given her sooner CALL TO ACTION To learn more about Dr. Jen's work helping high-performing founders and leaders scale sustainably visit: 🔗 https://www.drjenbourgeois.com To learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops

  2. Aug 12

    How I Make Big Life Altering Decisions

    Episode 39: How I Make Big Life Altering Decisions In this episode, Ashlee shares the behavioral based system she has built — not from theory or inspiration, but from real experience — for making big, high stakes decisions with confidence. Inspired by two clients navigating major career crossroads, she walks through the exact five steps she uses herself and with the leaders and founders she coaches every day. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why high performers stall big decisions — and why it has nothing to do with intelligence or capability * Why clarity does not come first — and how taking action is actually what creates it * The one question almost nobody asks themselves when facing a big decision * How to separate fear from gut intuition — and why that distinction changes everything * Why being half in on a decision burns more energy than hard work ever will Most high performers do not stall big decisions because they are incapable. They stall because they want to get everything perfect, rehearse every outcome, and collect enough information to feel certain before they move. But certainty is not how clarity works. In this episode, Ashlee shares the five step system she has used to leave a stable career, build RX Ashlee, hire her first team members, walk away from six and seven figure opportunities that were not aligned, and keep moving forward through grief, growth, and everything in between. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) The two clients who inspired this episode and what their decisions had in common * (06:00) Step 1: Stop waiting for stability, security, or certainty — action creates clarity * (10:30) Step 2: What is the cost of not doing anything — the question almost nobody asks * (15:00) Step 3: Separating fear from gut intuition and learning to trust what you already know * (20:00) Step 4: Look for energy alignment and values alignment — not just what sounds good on paper * (24:00) Step 5: Make the decision and go all in — indecision burns more energy than hard work CALL TO ACTION If you are leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS decision-making, leadership communication, clarity under pressure, executive leadership, self-trust, organizational clarity

  3. Aug 10

    When Fear Means You’re Going the Right Way with Dr. Brooke Stubbs

    Guest Episode 5: When Fear Means You’re Going the Right Way with Dr. Brooke Stubbs In this episode, Ashlee sits down with longtime friend Dr. Brooke Stubbs, founder of Rooted Femme, a women's concierge medicine practice in Austin, TX. Brooke opens up about the dermatology residency she didn't get, the years of imposter syndrome that followed, and how a string of "failures" (a business that flopped, a stalled fertility journey) became the exact path that led her to build a practice rooted in autonomy, faith, and self-trust. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why being passed over for her dream residency ended up redirecting Brooke toward the right path * How she pushed through years of imposter syndrome and the messy middle * Why "you only fail if you quit" isn't just a mindset, it's a strategy * How lifestyle medicine and stress reduction reshaped her approach to patient care and her own fertility journey * Why fear is often a signal pointing toward the next right move, not away from it * What it actually takes to raise capital and expand a service-based business Brooke and Ashlee go back over a decade, and this conversation has the ease of two old friends catching up while also unpacking real turning points: a residency rejection that felt like heartbreak at the time, an app and a business that failed, and the moment she stopped trying to prove herself to the people who doubted her. What emerges is a leader who trusts the setbacks were redirection, who invests in her own dream instead of someone else's, and who is now working toward Sante House, an expanded health spa concept in Austin. KEY MOMENTS * (00:00) The ER story, and the core memory that started it all * (00:41) The derm residency Brooke didn't get, and the heartbreak that followed * (06:02) Navigating the messy middle and imposter syndrome * (09:37) Inside Rooted Femme, and what lifestyle medicine actually is * (11:48) Her own fertility journey, endometriosis, and how lifestyle medicine changed the outcome * (19:00) Her son's health scare, and seeing the bigger plan in hindsight * (19:50) "You can't fail unless you quit" — reframing failed ventures as part of the process * (26:39) Why fear is the signal to keep going, not stop * (28:08) Raising capital for expansion, and getting twenty no's before the yes CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to build the kind of culture that protects people instead of breaking them down, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. ABOUT DR. BROOKE STUBBS Dr. Brooke Stubbs is the founder of Rooted Femme, a women's concierge medicine practice in Austin, TX. Board certified in internal medicine with an additional certification in lifestyle medicine, Brooke and her team offer a one-stop approach to women's health, from primary care and hormone replacement therapy to medical weight loss and aesthetics. She is currently working to expand her practice into Sante House, a broader health spa concept in Austin. * Website: rootedfemme.com * Instagram: @brookiestubbsmd * TikTok: @brookiestubbsmd KEYWORDS women's concierge medicine, Rooted Femme, Dr. Brooke Stubbs, lifestyle medicine, hormone replacement therapy, medical weight loss, fertility and endometriosis, imposter syndrome, leadership podcast

  4. Aug 5

    Most Leaders Talk Too Much

    Episode 38: Most Leaders Talk Too Much In this episode, Ashlee calls out one of the most common and costly communication habits in leadership — over talking. She breaks down why saying more does not create more clarity, what communication dilution actually costs your team, and how the strongest executive communicators she has ever worked with all share one thing in common: they say less and mean more. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why volume of words is not the same as clarity — and how over talking dilutes your messageWhat communication dilution is and exactly how it slows down execution on teamsWhy the strongest leaders often sound almost boring — and why that is actually the highest complimentHow discomfort with silence drives most leaders to over explain, ramble, and repeat themselvesThe three things every strong communicator knows before they open their mouth Most leaders are not under-communicating. They are over-talking while under-clarifying. They say a lot of words, process out loud in the wrong rooms, repeat themselves under pressure, and somewhere inside all of that talking — the actual point gets completely lost. Ashlee calls this communication dilution. And in this episode she makes the case for why saying less, with more intention and precision, is one of the highest leverage leadership skills you can build. KEY MOMENTS (01:30) What communication dilution is and why it is costing your team clarity(04:00) The three things every strong communicator knows before they speak(06:30) Why the strongest executive communicators often sound almost boring(08:45) Why discomfort with silence drives most leaders to over talk(10:30) The challenge: say less, mean more — starting with your next meeting CALL TO ACTION If you are leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS  leadership communication, over talking, clarity, team performance, executive leadership, decision-making

  5. Aug 3

    When Success No Longer Fits: Dr. Deepti Gandhi on Reinvention, Perimenopause, & What's Next

    Guest Episode 4: When Success No Longer Fits: Dr. Deepti Gandhi on Reinvention, Midlife & What's Next There comes a moment for many high-achieving women when the life they've worked so hard to build no longer feels aligned. In this episode, Ashlee sits down with Dr. Deepti Gandhi—physician, speaker, and midlife women's health expert—for an honest conversation about what happens when success no longer fits the life you want. Dr. Gandhi shares the deeply personal moments that led her to leave corporate medicine, rediscover herself through gratitude and reflection, and build a practice dedicated to helping women navigate perimenopause, menopause, and one of life's biggest transitions. Whether you're feeling burned out, questioning what's next, or simply sensing that you're ready for a new chapter, this conversation is an invitation to trust yourself and embrace reinvention. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why achieving every milestone doesn't always lead to fulfillment The unexpected conversation with her four-year-old daughter that changed everything How gratitude journaling transformed her mindset, career, and life The simple framework Dr. Gandhi uses to navigate every difficult decision: change it, accept it, or leave it Why learning to sit with yourself may be one of the most important leadership skills you'll ever develop How she reinvented her medical career to help women thrive through perimenopause and menopause ABOUT DR. DEEPTI GANDHI Dr. Deepti Gandhi is a board-certified physician, speaker, and coach specializing in midlife women's health, perimenopause, menopause, burnout, and mindset. After more than 22 years in medicine, she transformed her career to help women navigate one of the most significant transitions of their lives with evidence-based care, compassion, and practical strategies for lasting well-being. Her mission is to help women better understand their bodies, advocate for their health, and confidently embrace what's next. Connect with Dr. Gandhi Website: https://www.drgandhiwellness.com Instagram: @drgandhiwellness KEY MOMENTS 03:15 – The conversation with her daughter that changed everything 08:40 – How gratitude journaling became the catalyst for reinvention 20:10 – Leaving corporate medicine to build a more meaningful career 31:25 – The "change it, accept it, or leave it" framework 48:50 – Why perimenopause isn't an ending—it's an opportunity to redesign your life CONNECT WITH ASHLEE Ashlee Hayes is a business strategist and trusted advisor for women CEOs building service-based businesses. She helps founders scale with greater clarity, stronger leadership, and sustainable growth by developing the systems, strategy, and decision-making needed to build companies that last. Connect with Ashlee Leadership Workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ KEYWORDS midlife, reinvention, menopause, perimenopause, women's health, burnout, gratitude journaling, leadership, mindset, career transition, physician, purpose, self-trust, personal growth, Dr. Deepti Gandhi, This Wasn't My Plan

  6. Jul 29

    Learning How to Give Feedback That Builds Trust

    Episode 37: Learning How to Give Feedback That Builds Trust In this episode, Ashlee breaks down one of the most underrated and undertaught leadership skills — how to give feedback that actually builds trust instead of destroying it. She explains why avoidance is not kindness, why delayed feedback creates defensiveness, and what leaders must do to deliver clear, calm, consistent feedback that moves people forward. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why feedback is not about criticizing someone — it is about helping them see themselves objectively * How avoidance disguised as kindness is actually holding your team back from growing * Why inconsistency and passive aggression destroy trust faster than any direct conversation ever could * The difference between feedback delivered with emotional intensity and feedback delivered with clarity and calm * Why small corrections create momentum and delayed corrections create defensiveness Most leaders avoid feedback because they do not want to make things uncomfortable. But what Ashlee has learned after coaching thousands of high performers is that avoidance is not kindness, it is the thing holding everyone back. High performers crave clarity. They want to know where they stand. They want direction. And when leaders withhold honest feedback, they are not protecting the relationship, they are quietly eroding the trust that makes great work possible. In this episode, Ashlee gives leaders a clear, repeatable framework for delivering feedback that is calm, specific, and timely, and explains why the ability to regulate your own emotions in those moments is the single most important factor in whether the feedback lands or falls apart. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) Why feedback is not criticism, it is the gift of objectivity * (05:30) How implied expectations and hinted feedback destroy clarity and trust * (09:15) Two real examples of what unhelpful vs. helpful feedback actually sounds like * (13:30) Why emotional regulation is the most important factor in delivering feedback well * (17:00) Why small corrections create momentum and delayed corrections create defensiveness CALL TO ACTION If you are leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, giving feedback, team trust, organizational clarity, emotional regulation, team performance

  7. Jul 27

    From the Lakers to Bestseller Lists: How Jake Kelfer Turned Books Into a Business

    Guest Episode 3: From the Lakers to Bestseller Lists: How Jake Kelfer Turned Books Into a Business Ashlee talks with Jake Kelfer, founder of Big Idea to Bestseller, about what it really takes to write a book, build a business around your expertise, and stop waiting until you feel "qualified enough" to share your message. Jake wrote his first book at 23 while working for the LA Lakers, and has since built one of the most focused publishing companies helping entrepreneurs and executives do the same. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why you don't need an extraordinary accomplishment to write a bookHow Jake went from courtside at the Lakers to founding a publishing companyWhy imposter syndrome is the biggest thing stopping people from writing their bookHow AI is changing the book writing process, and where it falls shortWhy mastering the fundamentals is the fastest path to the life you want Most people think they need to climb a corporate ladder or hit a milestone before they're qualified to write a book. Jake wrote his first at 23 with one year of experience, and it became an Amazon bestseller. Ashlee and Jake unpack why the book is never really about the book. It's about the transformation on the other side. ABOUT JAKE KELFER Jake Kelfer is the founder of Big Idea to Bestseller, a professional publishing company helping entrepreneurs, executives, and thought leaders write, publish, launch, and market nonfiction books. He's written four books of his own, including his latest, Big Idea to Bestseller, and has helped authors land speaking gigs, consulting clients, and five figure deals before their books even hit shelves. Connect with Jake: Website: https://bigideatobestseller.comBook: https://bit.ly/3TMsZf8Social: @jakekelfer KEY MOMENTS (03:00) Working courtside during Kobe Bryant's final season(07:00) Why Jake wrote his first book at 23 with one year of experience(14:00) The biggest things that stop people from writing books(22:00) How the pandemic forced a pivot that became Big Idea to Bestseller(37:00) Why unwavering self-belief is the real differentiator CALL TO ACTION Thinking about writing a book? 🔗 https://bigideatobestseller.com Leading a team and want better clarity and execution? 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment and execution under pressure. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/Workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops

  8. Jul 22

    The #1 Way to Build Trust on Your Team Is NOT with More Time

    Episode 36: The #1 Way to Build Trust on Your Team Is NOT with More Time In this episode, Ashlee challenges one of the biggest myths in leadership, that trust just takes time. Inspired by a conversation with a client who had been waiting a decade for her team to trust each other, Ashlee breaks down exactly what actually builds trust inside organizations, why inconsistent communication destroys it faster than anything else, and what leaders must do differently starting today. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why trust is not built with time, and what it is actually built with * How predictable leadership behavior is the single fastest way to install trust on a team * Why inconsistent communication destroys trust faster than almost any other leadership failure * What high performers actually need from their leaders, and why it is not motivation or morale * The one communication habit that closes loops and builds trust after every single conversation Ashlee has watched teams work together for over 15 years and still operate like suspicious roommates sharing a kitchen. She has also watched brand new teams build deep trust in less than a quarter. The difference is never time. It is always communication. Specifically, clarity, consistency, predictability, and emotional regulation. When leaders say one thing and do another, when feedback is given to one person and withheld from another, when meetings end without decisions or owners or next steps, trust erodes. Quietly. Expensively. And over time, the best people leave. In this episode, Ashlee defines trust the RX Ashlee way: predictable leadership behavior in service of a shared goal. And she gives leaders a clear, repeatable framework for building it starting with their very next conversation. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) The client conversation that sparked this episode, 10 years on the same team, still no trust * (05:30) Why trust is not built with time, and what actually installs it inside organizations * (09:15) How inconsistent communication destroys trust faster than anything else a leader can do * (13:30) What high performers actually need, and why ambiguity drives them out * (17:00) The three communication habits that close loops and build trust after every conversation CALL TO ACTION If you are leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, team trust, organizational clarity, team performance, executive leadership, decision-making

See All (48)

4.8
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

This Wasn’t My Plan is the career podcast for high-achievers who’ve checked all the boxes (and done all the right things!) but still feel something’s missing. Hosted by Career Strategist and Performance Consultant and Advisor, RX Ashlee, it’s your no-BS roadmap to redefining success on your terms. Whether you’re pivoting, scaling your business, or ready for work that works for you, this show delivers sharp strategy, smart scripts, and real talk. No fluff, no filler, just focused guidance to help you lead, own your voice, and win with intention.

Information

  • Creator
    Ashlee Hayes
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ashlee Hayes
  • Show Website
    This Wasn't My Plan