The Joyous Edge

Joy St John
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Management
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Joyous Edge Podcast helps purpose-driven, high-performing executives and leaders trade burnout and overcommitment for purpose, prioritization, and presence. Hosted by former KPMG Managing Director Joy St John, every episode is a masterclass in living fully, aligning your actions with your purpose, prioritizing your self-care, and becoming the confident, joy-filled executive you are meant to be.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Build a Team You Don't Have To Carry with Elyse Badewitz

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… If you're the leader everyone depends on, it's easy to convince yourself that carrying more is simply part of the job. But when every decision, every employee problem, and every unexpected fire still lands on your shoulders, success can start to feel a lot like exhaustion. Today, Joy sits down with business owner and coach Elyse Badewitz to explore what it takes to build a business and a team that can thrive without consuming you. They unpack the emotional side of leadership, why empathy needs boundaries, how your energy affects the people around you, and what changes when you stop tying your worth to your team's reactions.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 01:45 – Why successful leaders still end up buried in the business
 07:20 – Building a team you can trust without doing everything yourself
 18:40 – The emotional weight of leading people who may not always love you back
 27:30 – Why your team feels your stress even when you think you're hiding it
 36:45 – Balancing empathy, boundaries, and standards without burning everyone out

  2. 6d ago

    Become the Most Trusted Voice in the Room with David Lawhorn

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com 🎙️IN THIS EPISODE…  What if the next level of leadership has less to do with saying more and more to do with becoming the person people trust when the stakes are high? A rushed reply, distracted conversation, or overpromised deadline can erode credibility, even when your intentions are good. Showing up is only the beginning. How you make people feel heard, valued, and confident in your word determines whether they will follow you. In this episode, David Lawhorn shares how intentional communication turns ordinary interactions into trust-building moments. He and Joy explore the NOW framework, the internal dialogue that shapes external results, the questions that create genuine connection, and the executive shift from being the loudest voice in the room to the most trusted.  👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead. Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine.  ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE David Lawhorn - David Speaks International ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 01:30 The communication difference between average and top performers  02:55 The NOW framework for winning important conversations 06:37 Why trust sits at the center of every strong interaction 10:33 One question that instantly makes a conversation more intentional 19:41 How leaders develop talent instead of driving it away 23:52 Becoming the most trusted voice in the room

  3. Aug 17

    Succeed Without Losing What Matters Most with Joel Okaah

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… What is success worth if the people you love get the leftovers and your own health is always next on the list? Ambition can look responsible from the outside while quietly pulling you away from your family, your purpose, and the body that has to carry everything you are building. In this episode, Joel Okaah shares the painful moment that exposed his misaligned priorities and the decision to leave most of his income behind for work rooted in faith, fitness, and service. He and Joy explore consistency without perfection, health practices that fit a responsibility-filled life, and the identity shift that turns self-care from another task into part of who you are.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Training Ground Performance - Website ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:35  Leaving most of your income to follow a clearer purpose 02:25  The moment success exposed a painful priority problem 06:46  When responsibility leaves no margin for your health 08:37  Why consistency beats perfection in a real life 20:26  Protecting the health that makes your purpose possible 28:27  Upgrading your operating system for a new season

  4. Aug 13

    Build a Life That's Uniquely You with Kim Costa

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… What do you do when the life that looks right on paper no longer feels right? In this episode, Kim Costa shares how she left a 27-year role that did not fit her strengths, reinvented herself at 50, and began helping others align their homes with the full lives they want next. She and Joy explore the eight areas that shape a well-rounded life, the difference between a work persona and your real needs, and why beauty cannot compensate for a space that does not support sleep, safety, belonging, or purpose.   👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Live in Your Wheel House - Website ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:26  The long career path that did not fit her real strengths 04:59  How capable adults lose themselves along the way 07:46  The eight areas that reveal whether your life is truly aligned 12:16  Why adulthood has seasons and your home should change with them 16:08  Separating your work persona from the person who needs to recharge 19:59  What a beautiful home still cannot fix

  5. Aug 10

    Financial Freedom After Divorce with Rachel Duck

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… What happens when the financial future you planned disappears overnight? In this episode, Rachel Duck shares how becoming a single mother during the first COVID lockdown moved her from fear toward a deliberate plan for financial freedom. She and Joy explore knowing what you actually spend, creating margin without falling into a deprivation mindset, involving children without transferring financial fear, and building toward a life of generosity and impact. 👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE A Single Mom's Guide to Financial Freedom - Book Page Rachel Duck - LinkedIn ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:40  When divorce and uncertainty changed the financial plan overnight 03:10  Start with where you are and one next best step 10:49  The spending reality check that makes a plan possible 13:01  Creating margin without cutting out everything that matters 19:48  Building freedom for generosity, legacy, and impact 24:45  What to do when rebuilding feels overwhelming

  6. Aug 6

    Communication, High Performance, and the Courage to Be Yourself with Darryll Stinson

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com   🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… In this conversation, speaker, author, and leadership expert Darryll Stinson joins Joy to explore what changes when you stop hiding, listen to the quieter signals in life, and lead from a place that is both honest and sustainable. You'll walk away with a fresh perspective on communicating with greater impact, creating deeper ownership within your team, and pursuing high performance without losing the parts of life that make success worth achieving. 👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Darryll Stinson: https://darryllstinson.com/about/ ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction
 02:05 – Borrowing someone else's belief until you can believe in yourself
 08:31 – How effective leaders recognize and speak to the potential in others
 17:56 – Authentic communication: stop talking about the story and let the story speak
 26:49 – The CARE system for sustainable self-care and high performance
 44:49 – Creating greater ownership by going deeper into self, service, and story

  7. Aug 3

    Giving Yourself Permission to Build the Life You Want with Maggie Harlow

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… What would change if you stopped waiting for someone else to approve the life, career, or opportunity you really want? Many capable people stay stuck because they believe they need more experience, better timing, stronger credentials, or permission from the people around them. Even when they know something needs to change, they continue following rules and expectations that may no longer serve them. In this episode, Maggie Harlow shares how giving yourself permission can help you move beyond fear, challenge limiting beliefs, and take greater ownership of your life. She and Joy discuss the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship, how small acts of courage can expand your comfort zone, and why the results you keep getting may be connected to systems you have the power to change. You'll learn how to examine the patterns shaping your days, stop accepting less than what you truly want, and intentionally create more space for meaningful work, relationships, and joy. Listen when you need the confidence to trust your own choices, rewrite the rules that are keeping you small, and give yourself permission to pursue something more. 👋 WHO IS JOY ST. JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Order Everyday Extraordinary: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H46FP6NN Learn more about Maggie Harlow: https://www.maggieharlow.com ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Growing up in an entrepreneurial family 06:00 Building a business and learning to ride the emotional dragon 09:00 The power of giving yourself permission 15:00 Expanding your comfort zone one small step at a time 20:00 Everyday Extraordinary and finding joy through difficult seasons 23:00 Why your systems create your results 29:00 Using permission to grow your impact 31:00 Why your happiness matters 32:00 What brings Maggie joy

  8. Aug 3

    Reclaim Your Energy and Start Thriving Again with Dr. Cody Golman

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: FreeJoyCall.com 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… You can be performing at a high level, growing your career, and checking every box while quietly running your body into the ground. When your health always comes last, exhaustion starts to feel normal. You may rely on caffeine, push through stress, ignore hunger cues, sacrifice sleep, and assume feeling depleted is simply the price of being successful. In this episode, Dr. Cody Goldman challenges that belief. We explore what can change when you stop treating your body like an obstacle and begin giving it the fuel, rest, attention, and care it needs. Listen when you're ready to step out of survival mode and build a life that feels as successful on the inside as it looks from the outside. 👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Dr. Cody Golman: https://drcodygolman.com ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Why high performers put their health last 06:19 Sleep, hormones, and restoring energy 12:07 Eating more, reducing stress, and listening to your body 15:01 Emotional energy, triggers, and self-acceptance 27:23 The power of community and support 28:43 Building a life without regret 32:39 Closing

  9. Jul 31

    Finding Joy in a Season of Change with Leigh-Leigh Kossman

    💜 Schedule a FREE JOY CALL: https://FreeJoyCall.com 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE… What happens when the role, routine, or season that once gave your life meaning begins to change? You may have built a successful career, raised a family, or spent years caring for everyone around you, only to reach a new chapter and wonder what comes next. Even when life still looks good from the outside, it can be difficult to admit that something inside feels empty. In this episode, Leigh-Leigh Kossman shares how she found renewed purpose after her daughters left home and she entered an unexpected three-year season of waiting. She and Joy explore how prayer, stillness, gratitude, and simple grounding practices can help interrupt a negative spiral and create space for clarity. Listen when you need encouragement to trust the season you are in, stay open to what comes next, and begin finding joy in the life directly in front of you. 👋 WHO IS JOY ST JOHN? Joy St John draws on 25+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, corporate risk, and enterprise leadership to show teams how to simplify the work, reduce hidden risk, and restore ownership to the way people lead.  Drawing on her career in top organizations and her personal wake-up call after years of overwork, Joy teaches leaders and teams to see the bigger picture, investigate problems with less ego and more curiosity, and bring energy back to work that has become too heavy, too complicated, or too routine. ✏️ RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Learn more about Leigh-Leigh Kossman: https://kossman5.wixsite.com/mysite-1 ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Why high performers put their health last 06:19 Sleep, hormones, and restoring energy 12:07 Eating more, reducing stress, and listening to your body 15:01 Emotional energy, triggers, and self-acceptance 27:23 The power of community and support 28:43 Building a life without regret 32:39 Closing

  • 9 Episodes

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

The Joyous Edge Podcast helps purpose-driven, high-performing executives and leaders trade burnout and overcommitment for purpose, prioritization, and presence. Hosted by former KPMG Managing Director Joy St John, every episode is a masterclass in living fully, aligning your actions with your purpose, prioritizing your self-care, and becoming the confident, joy-filled executive you are meant to be.

Information

  • Creator
    Joy St John
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Joyous Edge