Rise Above The Grind

Alissa Bickar, The Consultress
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  • Self-Improvement

A movement designed to help you rise above mediocrity, break free from the grind, and build the life you deserve.

  1. Oct 26

    Beyond the 50-Year Plan: Reclaiming Time, Redefining Productivity, and Earning Your Seat at the Table

    In this live edition of Rise Above the Grind, host Alissa Bickar ("The Consultress") is joined by Amy Fosbenner, founder of Fosbenner Financial, alongside sponsor Jason McNamara and a powerhouse panel of entrepreneurs. Amy shares her journey of breaking away from traditional corporate expectations to build a solopreneur financial practice centered around real estate wealth, lifestyle autonomy, and intentional motherhood. The conversation challenges the outdated "work now, live later" industrial mindset, unpacking why entrepreneurs must reject performative exhaustion and build business models that actively facilitate their real lives. From setting uncompromising boundaries and learning reciprocally from clients to earning confidence at the boardroom table, this episode delivers a blueprint for designing sustainable wealth without trading away presence in the moment. Key Takeaways Grinding in Harmony vs. Depleting Routine: True productivity is not about forcing identical, robotic checklists every single day. It is about finding harmony between the operational push of your business and personal self-care. If your own blade isn't oiled and sharpened, you cannot operate at peak capacity. Rejecting the "Retire to Live" Lie: Sacrificing 50 years to an exhausting 60- to 80-hour workweek in the hopes of enjoying a brief retirement is a broken formula. Life and memory-making must happen now, not decades down the road. Reciprocal Wisdom in Advisory: Client relationships should never be a one-way street. Top-tier advisors not only educate their clients but actively absorb the hard-earned lessons, pivots, and mistakes shared by the investors they advise. Designing Business Around Life Stages: Your business architecture must remain flexible enough to bend to family priorities. Whether setting firm school drop-off boundaries or temporarily pausing travel-heavy speaking engagements, business models exist to serve life—never the other way around. The 5 Pillars of the Phoenix: Sustainable entrepreneurship requires a balance of passion (loving the craft), compassion (genuine care for people over transactional greed), strength, resilience (weathering inevitable setbacks), and uncompromising determination. Walking In Like You Belong: Imposter syndrome is common, but confidence is claimed. When you step into rooms with high-level leaders, stand tall and own your seat at the table with the conviction of your knowledge and character. Selective Alignment: Not every dollar is good money. The ultimate luxury of running your own enterprise is the power to turn down clients whose demands violate your boundaries or moral compass. Discussion Highlights Defining the Grind: Amy and Alissa break down why consistency without soul satisfaction leads directly to burnout, contrasting intentional momentum with depleting routines. The Leap of Faith: Amy discusses making the bold jump to launch her own practice when her first child was only a few months old, driven by the refusal to miss out on her children’s early years. Jess Jorgensen on Adventure and Memory-Making: Moving away from corporate conditioning to travel full-time, building a legacy of experiences over just a "stack of cash," and teaching kids to live beyond the clock. Talmar Anderson on Shifting the Business Model: Adjusting business delivery models across different stages of family life, including pausing travel speaking during her son's high school years. Christy Morrell-Stinson on the "3X Freedom" & Non-Negotiables: Identifying your true identity, stepping out of the owner-operator trap, and defending "beautiful limits" like sacred pickup times. Amy's Core Philosophy & 5 Pillars: Unpacking "Be Good, Do Good," donating time over money, and the five pillars of Fosbenner Financial: Passion, Compassion, Strength, Resilience, and Determination. Jason McNamara on "Skating" & Working Smarter: Lessons from the Navy on breaking efficiency records, stepping out of operational bottlenecks, and treating sales as service. The Story of the Boardroom: Amy shares a foundational career moment where an elderly, seasoned client challenged her to leave the room, walk back in, and own her presence as an equal. Romaine Wright on Self-Awareness & Boundary-Setting: Bringing corporate subject-matter expertise into entrepreneurship, rejecting constant overwork, and prioritizing personal life balance. Jen Carpenter's Synthesis: Embracing the power of conscious choice, giving yourself permission to change your mind, and acknowledging that progress is non-linear. Featured Guest & Community Resources Featured Guest: Amy Fosbenner | Founder & Financial Advisor, Fosbenner Financial, LLC Connect with Amy: Connect on LinkedIn via Fosbenner Financial, LLC Community Movement: Join the "I Believe in You" movement (wear one, share one wristbands available via Venmo @TheConsultress). VIP Live Broadcast Access: Apply to be part of the live studio audience and mastermind panel for Rise Above the Grind via the No More 9 to 5 Club network. Broadcast Schedule: Catch Rise Above the Grind live every Thursday at 12:30 PM Eastern Time.

  2. Oct 15

    Knowing When to Push, When to Pivot, and When to Let Go

    In this episode of Rise Above the Grind, host Alissa Bickar welcomes Adam "AAA" Adams, a prolific entrepreneur and real estate investor, for a conversation on what the grind really means, how seasons of hard work lead to freedom, and the lessons of building wealth through real estate and business. Adam grew up in Utah with a stepdad who was a lifelong real estate investor and business owner, and who drilled one rule into him early: save 10%, invest 10%, pay yourself first. A $100 gift of land in college turned into a 12,000%-plus return and the start of Adam's own investing journey, which has included raw land, multifamily, and syndications since 2007. Today he runs a couple of businesses, has two kids, and is serving as the main salesperson for an assisted living community with 25 locations in Colorado. The show opens with the grind question, and Adam's answer sets the tone for the conversation: the grind isn't something to avoid, but it is something to keep temporary. Key Topics Discussed Redefining the Grind: A Season, Not a Life Sentence Adam describes the grind as both positive and negative, and above all seasonal. To him, grinding is buckling down and doing what you need to do for as long as you need to do it to get the outcome you want. For Adam, that outcome is tranquility, freedom, starting something new, and time for mountain biking, surfing, and snowboarding. Don't Avoid the Grind, but Don't Live in It Adam argues that people who avoid the grind entirely are often the ones who end up stuck. At the same time, he hopes people aren't choosing 60, 80, or 90 hour work weeks for their entire lives, because life has more to offer. Alissa highlighted the rhythm in his answer: the grind is part of a cycle, not a destination, and when it defines everything, it depletes you and throws the rest of life out of balance. The $100 Piece of Land In 2005, Adam's stepdad gifted him a piece of land and, on his accountant's advice, asked for $100 in return so the gift wasn't taxed heavily. As a college student working as a bartender, even $100 took a while to come up with. Two years later, a random call from a buyer offered more than he would have earned in a full year after graduating. The result was a return of more than 12,000 percent on his $100, and the moment he decided his stepdad had been right all along. Lessons from a Real Estate Family Adam's stepdad has invested in raw land, agricultural land, storage units, multifamily, single family, and cabin lots, and often recommended Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad when it came out in 1997. Adam admits he thought the book was ridiculous at the time. He has been investing in raw land since 2005 and in multifamily and syndications since 2007. Working a 40-Plus Hour Week by Choice After years of running his own businesses on far fewer hours, Adam has spent the last nine months working for a friend as the main salesperson for an assisted living community with 25 locations in Colorado. He describes the shift to more than 40 hours a week as crazy, but says he loves it and plans to stay for another year. Panelist Introductions Jess Jorgensen: Tech nerd providing internet services and adventure gear for people who want to live outside the norm, joining from Texas. Jason McNamara: Founder of the No More 9 to 5 Club and Mind Trainer Pro. A poor kid from South Florida who retired early after a career that included military service, a record-setting run with an employment agency for veterans, sales, and real estate. Nat Mailhot: Speaking coach based on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, who created Teen Talks to help teens speak up and speak out. Talmar Anderson: Founder of Boss HQ, helping exhausted business owners become effective CEOs with the right second in command and a strong team behind them. Notable Quotes "To me, grinding is buckling down and doing what you need to do for as long as you need to do it in order to get the outcome that you're really looking for." — Adam Adams "I think it's seasonal." — Adam Adams "I don't think people should avoid the grind at all, because I think that's why there's a lot of people that are really, really stuck." — Adam Adams "Life has more to offer than that." — Adam Adams About Rise Above the Grind Rise Above the Grind broadcasts live every Thursday at 12:30 PM Eastern, hosted by Alissa Bickar (The Consultress) in partnership with The No More 9 to 5 Club. Each episode is a mastermind-style conversation designed to help entrepreneurs think differently, build authentic brands, and grow beyond the grind.

  3. Oct 10

    Beyond the Echo Chamber: Funerals for Former Selves and the True Cost of Growth

    In this live broadcast and VIP mastermind edition of Rise Above the Grind, host Alissa Bickar ("The Consultress") reunites with business advisor and author Willard Barth, alongside co-host Jason McNamara and a powerhouse panel featuring Romaine Wright, Tommy Giorlando, Jess Jorgensen, Jen Carpenter, and Talmar Anderson. Returning to the show nearly a year after his first appearance, Willard unpacks how the definition of "the grind" has fundamentally transformed—shifting from an exhausting badge of honor to the privilege of taking aligned steps toward an intentional vision. The room engages in a deep, unfiltered discussion on the ongoing fallout of global disruptions, shedding outgrown identities, holding "funerals" for legacy projects, and avoiding the trap of mistaking generative AI rapport for genuine, battle-tested wisdom. Key Takeaways Redefining the Grind: The grind is no longer about staying busy until burnout; it is about the privilege of doing today what others will not so you can build what others cannot. True purpose transforms exhausting tasks into chosen, meaningful steps. The Lingering Disruption of Past Assumptions: Many business owners continue operating on pre-2020 assumptions of normalcy. Acknowledging that buyer behaviors, communication channels, and personal boundaries have permanently shifted is essential to avoid stagnation. Mistaking Knowledge for Wisdom: While generative AI provides instantaneous access to information, it is engineered to build rapport and confirm existing biases rather than provide objective truth. True business strategy requires testing knowledge through real-world experience, trusted peer masterminds, and custom system prompts that challenge assumptions. Rigid Flexibility & Immutable Laws: Longevity in entrepreneurship relies on establishing immutable, non-negotiable core values while maintaining extreme flexibility in execution. Leaders must remain rigidly committed to their desired outcome while adapting their path. Holding "Funerals" for Past Selves and Projects: Growth demands the courage to "kill your darlings". Holding onto projects or past versions of yourself simply because you invested time, money, or sweat equity into them robs you of the future you are meant to build. Extreme Ownership (Phase Three): True personal and operational freedom begins the moment you stop blaming outside circumstances—the economy, parents, or clients—and fully own that past decisions created your current reality, giving you full agency to choose your next steps. Panel Discussion Highlights Defining the Evolving Grind: Willard Barth shares his perspective on moving away from the "don't quit when you're tired, quit when you're done" mentality to embracing intentional action. The Post-Disruption Paradigm: Alissa and Willard discuss why businesses and leaders are still navigating the ripple effects of the 2020 pandemic on consumer psychology and workforce expectations. The Trap of Abdicating to AI: Exploring why automated feedback loops and confirmation bias create echo chambers, and how entrepreneurs can prompt AI to serve as a critical thinking partner instead of a "yes-man". Immutable Laws in Practice: Romaine Wright breaks down how establishing measurable personal and operational rules acts as a North Star when redefining client avatars and navigating industry noise. Emotional Conditioning and Truth-Telling: Tommy G explains how subconscious emotions dictate whether we accept or reject constructive criticism, emphasizing the need to drop ego when receiving candid feedback. Leaving the Wrong Rooms: Jess Jorgensen shares a real-time story of walking away from an industry conference after realizing the culture no longer aligned with her personal values and mission. Reinventing the Operator: Willard, Jason, and Alissa examine the necessity of shedding former identities, letting go of non-performing initiatives, and refusing to cling to who you were yesterday. Synthesis & Action: Jen Carpenter and Talmar Anderson provide masterclass takeaways on the power of choice, deliberate action, and narrowing focus down to a singular, linear identity for maximum return on investment. Featured Resources & Community Links Featured Guest: Willard Barth – Author of The Anatomy of Transformation and creator of The 7 Stages of Entrepreneurship Community Movement: Join the "I Believe in You" movement (wear one, share one wristbands available via Venmo @TheConsultress). VIP Live Broadcast Access: Apply to be part of the live studio audience and mastermind panel for Rise Above the Grind via the No More 9 to 5 Club network. Broadcast Schedule: Catch Rise Above the Grind live every Thursday at 12:30 PM Eastern Time.

  4. Oct 2

    The Grind Underneath the Grind: Failure Fatigue, Pruning, and True Resilience

    In this candid and unscripted broadcast of Rise Above the Grind, host Alissa Bickar ("The Consultress") and No More 9 to 5 Club founder Jason McNamara explore the hidden emotional toll of entrepreneurship: the grind beneath the grind. Prompted by a last-minute schedule shift due to a guest's family loss, Alissa and Jason dive into the reality of "failure fatigue," processing grief when projects or partnerships fall flat, and recognizing the seasonal necessity of "killing your darlings" to make room for growth. They are joined by veteran entrepreneur Tim Miller, founder of Puddles Be Gone, who shares his raw journey of transitioning from 31 years of assembly-line conditioning at Chrysler to self-taught fluid dynamics, spending nearly a year re-engineering his product from scratch against popular advice, and ultimately catching the eye of national retail buyers. Key Takeaways The Reality of Failure Fatigue: Behind promotional social wins lies the 90% of the iceberg that goes unseen. Compounded rejections, stalled launches, and deal fallout cause an internal soul-grind that requires intentional grief and mental renewal rather than simply "shaking it off". Fall as a Season of Pruning: Growth is not an endless launch cycle. Just as trees shed leaves, high-performing operators must routinely audit their businesses to weed out systems, offerings, and legacy relationships that are "good enough" but incapable of carrying them into the next tier of scale. Alignment Precedes Marketing: True business clarity comes from leading with authentic attraction and alignment rather than downstream copy. When your core offer and values align, your marketing message becomes clear naturally. The Discipline of Quality Over Convenience: Tim Miller demonstrates that when consumer feedback reveals product friction, settling for an inferior model ruins long-term enterprise value. Taking the time and capital hit to redesign his base cap from scratch (creating "Blue 2.0") opened institutional interest from major national chains like PetSmart and Tractor Supply. Upgrading Your Circle and Navigating Separation: Moving away from a scarcity mindset requires curating a circle of growth-oriented peers. When friends or legacy networks fail to understand your vision, seeking out aligned mentors and masterminds provides the courage needed to navigate isolation. Timestamps & Episode Highlights – Green room check-in, audio setup, and prepping the broadcast. – Setting the stage: Addressing the last-minute pivot and opening a discussion on grief and resilience. – Welcome to *Rise Above the Grind: Defining "failure fatigue" and the 90% of the iceberg under the waterline. – Jason on military lessons: Failing fast, failing forward, and shedding scarcity thinking. – The seasonal audit: Why October marks the time to prune projects, systems, and old habits. – Jason’s boundaries: Handling bad actors, integrity breaches, and protecting the community garden. – Leading with alignment: Why Alissa shifted focus from marketing tactics to upstream resonance. – Tim Miller’s transition: Unlearning 31 years of Chrysler assembly-line conditioning. – The Puddles Be Gone breakthrough: Noticing customer friction and refusing to sell a subpar product. – Engineering without a safety net: A 6- to 9-month redesign that unlocked national retail conversations. – Overcoming the pain of separation: Finding a new tribe when lifelong friends don't understand your business. – Unlocking the *Personal Freedom Blueprint: Generosity, mentorship, and resources for veterans and civilian operators. – Save the date: Alissa previews her half-day year-end review workshop on November 6th. – Post-show debrief: Planning community masterminds, StreamYard vs. Zoom multi-streaming, and email list segmentation. Featured Resources & Community Links Featured Product: PuddlesBeGone.com – Clean, spill-free watering solutions for messy pets (Version 1 clearance and the upgraded Blue 2.0). Community Assessment: Access the Personal Freedom Blueprint at nomore9to5club.org to map your path to financial and operational freedom. MindTrainer PRO: Download from the App Store or Google Play for cognitive clarity, entrainment, and focus. Save the Date: Mark your calendars for Alissa Bickar’s half-day Year-End Business Review Workshop on November 6th.

  5. Sep 24

    The American Dream Gone Wild — Priorities, Loneliness & Community, with Tim Grimmett

    Alissa welcomes Tim Grimmett — a residual income mentor who spent years building (and nearly losing) real estate businesses before rebuilding his life around clearer priorities. The conversation opens with the show's signature icebreaker — what does "the grind" mean to you? — and moves into a deep, personal conversation about priorities, faith, loneliness in entrepreneurship, self-sabotage, and the value of true community. The VIP panel adds perspective on niching down, the statistics behind entrepreneurial isolation, and personal growth through discomfort. Key Topics Discussed 1. "The American Dream Gone Wild" Tim opens with a redefinition of the grind: the traditional path (school, job, house, retirement) that turned into a trap for him — sacrificing what mattered most in pursuit of keeping up with others. 2. Losing It All and Rebuilding Tim shared candidly about running 7 LLCs and 20 employees before the real estate crash wiped out his financing and nearly cost him his marriage. That crisis became the turning point for reassessing what success actually means. 3. Priorities in Order: God, Spouse, Kids, Work Central to Tim's framework is a clear hierarchy of priorities. He explained that re-ordering his life around this sequence — rather than work first — is what allowed everything else to fall into place. 4. Removing Three Things From Hustle Culture Tim's framework for "doing business a different way" involves removing: avarice (the love of money), loneliness, and hustle at the expense of everything else. 5. The Loneliness of Entrepreneurship — By the Numbers Willard shared research live on the call: only 15–18% of the U.S. population engages in entrepreneurial activity, and just 6.6% run a business that survives more than 3 years — meaning most entrepreneurs are surrounded by people who don't understand their day-to-day reality. 6. Self-Care vs. Self-Sabotage Romaine raised a powerful distinction from her own podcast: what looks like self-care (solitude, long runs, "staying fit") can sometimes be a disguised response to loneliness or avoidance. Tim and Alissa built on this, discussing how entrepreneurs often self-sabotage or shrink back when approaching a new level of growth. 7. Community as the Antidote Tim emphasized that no one is self-made — real growth requires community, encouragement, and people willing to challenge you compassionately. He noted that shedding relationships that no longer serve your growth is often part of leveling up. 8. Niching Down and the Pain of Repositioning Willard shared his own recent pivot — moving away from smaller business clients who intellectually understood their problems but weren't in enough pain to invest, toward a more defined avatar (3–15M in revenue, 10–50 employees) that matched real urgency. 9. Zooming Out: The Artist and the Painting Willard referenced a Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) analogy: entrepreneurs are "6 inches from the canvas" and think everything is perfectly blended, while the people who'd actually buy their solution are standing 6 feet back, seeing something entirely different — a case for outside perspective and community feedback. Notable Quotes Tim Grimmett: "That was the American dream that turned into a nightmare for me." Tim Grimmett: "No one's counting until you stop." Tim Grimmett: "We serve a God who has no limits... the idea that we're gonna run out of something is just us telling ourselves lies." Willard Barth: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." Willard Barth: "94% of the population cannot understand the conversations that we're having in this room." Romaine Wright: "I never thought about loneliness being connected to burnout... but it was." Panelist Takeaways Tim Grimmett: Valued the faith-centered nature of the group and Willard's insight on why communication with non-entrepreneurs can feel so hard — most people simply aren't looking for what founders are trying to say. Jason McNamara: Reflected on the danger of interrupting a focused person, and the importance of staying open to growth rather than fixating on "one piece of cheese." Willard Barth: Tied the conversation back to "life begins at the end of your comfort zone" — growth requires stepping away from what's familiar, including certain relationships. Romaine Wright: Committed to examining whether her own self-care habits are sometimes avoidance in disguise. Guest Resources Tim Grimmett — Residual Income Mentor Website: AmazingLife.net Website: TimGrimmett.com Email: tim@HAFPINC.com (note: Tim prefers a text heads-up before checking email) Featured Guests & Links Tim Grimmett: amazinglife.net / timgrimmett.com Willard Barth — Willard Barth Enterprises Romaine Wright — Just Wright Consulting, LLC Jason McNamara — The No More 9 to 5 Club Get Involved Rise Above the Grind broadcasts live every Thursday at 12:30 PM Eastern. Subscribe at theconsultress.com/podcast to know who's coming up next and get access to the room where it happens.

  6. Sep 17

    Redefining Success and Escaping the Hustle Trap with James Elliot

    This episode dug into what actually drives the grind: not just overwork, but the beliefs underneath it. Alissa welcomed James Elliot, who helps coaches, wellness practitioners, and entrepreneurs with ADHD reclaim 15 to 30 hours a week by building businesses that don't run on burnout. Defining the Grind James traced the grind back to programming from parents, culture, and corporate systems that equate hustle with worth. After years in the corporate world and then building a multiple six-figure business that was quietly killing him, he had to confront a hard question: if this is success, why doesn't it feel like it? The Wake-Up Calls James shared the specific moments that forced a change: his body wouldn't respond to a healthy diet and consistent workouts because of chronic stress, a close friend told him he hadn't seen him in nearly a year, and his niece asked if he didn't like the family anymore since he never visited. Each moment pointed to the same truth: the business built for freedom had produced none. Key Themes From the Conversation Pain means pay attention. James reframed pain, whether physical, emotional, or relational, as information rather than something to avoid. Ignoring it just delays the reckoning. Busy is not the same as productive. Several voices in the room, including Jess Jorgensen, pushed back on using constant availability and visibility as proof of value. Exhausted is not a badge of honor. Delegation is a habit, not a one-time decision. James and Jason both made the case for paying someone else to do the $10-an-hour tasks so you're free to do the $200-an-hour work. The math only works if you actually let go. Success needs a personal definition. Tommy Giorlando pointed out that most people chasing "success" haven't defined what it actually looks or feels like, which means they're often succeeding in the wrong direction entirely. Think about your thinking. James closed by challenging the room to question inherited beliefs about needing to earn rest, earn freedom, or earn the right to slow down. Takeaways From the Panel Jess Jorgensen: We all have choices. Recognizing that was the shift. Tommy Giorlando: Ask what success actually feels like, and whether you feel that right now. Jason McNamara: Think about our thinking, and give your brain the same care you give the rest of your life. Nat Mayotte: It's possible to build a life around your values instead of around the grind. Validation for the harder choices. James Elliot: Question the belief that you have to work, save, and sacrifice now in order to earn freedom later. That belief is optional. Connect With James Elliot LinkedIn: James R. Elliot YouTube: James R. Elliot99 Website: limitless-entrepreneur.com Get Involved Join the Rise Above the Grind community: theconsultress.com/podcast Catch new episodes every Thursday, live at 12:30 PM Eastern

  7. Sep 10

    Consistency Before the Applause: Toni Caruso on Authenticity, Stages, and Rising Above the Grind

    This episode marked the official launch of the I Believe In You movement inside the Rise Above the Grind community, and served as a preview broadcast ahead of the No More 9 to 5 Club Lifestyle Summit. Alissa sat down with speaker coach Toni Caruso, surrounded by an all-star panel of upcoming Summit speakers, for a real conversation about consistency, belief, and building a business around your message. What Grind Means to Toni Toni opened by defining the grind as consistency, especially when no one is applauding you yet. The hard part isn't the big stage moment. It's the daily discipline of moving toward a goal before you have any proof it's working. Toni's Story: From Backyard Birthday Parties to Speaker Coaching Toni traced her path all the way back to childhood, where a summer birthday meant small parties while her sister's spring birthday drew a crowd. That early lesson in promotion turned into a full career: certified event planner, founder of Caruso Signature Events, and eventually managing director for eWomen. When the pandemic shut down her entire events business overnight in March 2020, Toni invested in a mastermind program that pushed her to focus. Within three months of following that guidance, she built what became the eWomen Speakers Network, coaching speakers on how to turn their message into a business. Key Themes From the Conversation Find your through line. Toni encouraged everyone to identify the personal story that connects directly to the work they do now, and to use that alignment as the foundation of their message. Speaking is a business, not a moment. Toni was direct: know what you want before you walk off stage, whether that's emails collected, book sales, or coaching conversations. Vet every room you're invited into and make sure it's full of the right audience, not just any audience. Borrow belief until you build your own. Several panelists connected on the idea that self-belief often starts with someone else believing in you first. Braxton and Alissa both pointed to moments where one person's confidence in them created the momentum to take the next step. Be who you say you are. Toni pushed back on AI-generated headshots and overly polished personas, reminding speakers that trust has to be built before they ever get on stage. Takeaways From the Panel Alissa: The through line of belief is the strongest foundation for doing something new and uncomfortable. Toni: Real, authentic conversation is rare in this space, and it's worth protecting. Jason: Invest in people who are a few steps ahead so you're not spending years "figuring out business" alone. Jess: Fail forward. Just do the thing without waiting for polish or confidence. Braxton: Belief without action doesn't move anything. The two have to work together. Christy: The sequence is believe in yourself, find your through line, find the right room, then treat it like a business. Romaine: Leverage other people's belief in you, and use it to find your tribe. Connect With Toni Caruso Instagram: @tonicarusoevents Get Involved Join the I Believe In You movement: bracelet packs available via Venmo @TheConsultress Register for the No More 9 to 5 Club Lifestyle Summit at https://www.thenomore9to5club.org/lifestyle-summit  Catch new episodes of Rise Above the Grind every week, live at 12:30 PM Eastern

  8. Sep 5

    Finding Your Authentic Voice: Speak With Confidence, Structure & Joy

    What happens when you stop trying to sound like everyone else and start trusting the voice you already have? In this episode of Rise Above the Grind, Alissa Bickar sits down with Nat Mailhot, speaking coach, communication educator, and creator of Mastery Authentic Voice, for a lively conversation about finding your voice, building confidence, embracing your personality, and making communication more engaging. Nat brings a refreshing perspective to speaking: communication doesn't have to feel stiff, serious, or scripted. It can be structured, authentic, playful, and fun. Her own journey—from being an extremely shy child to becoming a speaking coach and working confidently with both professionals and teenagers—shows how much our identities can evolve when we give ourselves permission to practice, experiment, and speak up. In This Episode, We Explore: Why fun can make learning and communication easier How Nat went from being extremely shy to becoming a confident speaker and coach The story behind Mastery Authentic Voice Why communication should be clear, confident, playful, and engaging How working with children helped Nat develop her unique approach to teaching The inspiration behind Teen Talk Why parents sometimes need to let children do uncomfortable things for themselves How small experiences—like ordering your own cookie—can build confidence Why speaking up when something doesn't feel right is an important leadership skill The difference between speaking naturally and simply winging it Why having a basic structure can make speaking easier How repetition turns a prepared presentation into something that feels natural Why your personal stories can become some of your most powerful communication tools The importance of being relatable and connecting your message to real experiences How authenticity can create safety for other people to be authentic too Why your “weird” can actually become your superpower How to overcome the fear of not being immediately good at something Why practice gives you the ability to pivot confidently in real time How finding and communicating your signature message can change the way people experience you The Power of Making It Fun Nat explains that when she started Mastery Authentic Voice, she built the program around three core ideas: Communicate clearly. Speak with confidence. Say what you have to say—and say it well. But there was another essential ingredient: Make it fun. After more than 30 years working with children, Nat learned how powerful games, humor, activities, and play can be when helping people step outside their comfort zones. Instead of making people feel like they're being forced to learn something difficult, she creates an environment where they can relax, participate, experiment, and eventually realize: “Oh, that wasn't so bad.” From Shy Child to Speaking Coach One of the most compelling parts of Nat's story is that she didn't always see herself as a confident communicator. She describes being extremely shy as a child and eventually adopting the identity others had given her: “She's shy.” Working with children helped her begin to break through that identity. Later, becoming a parent gave her an even deeper motivation. After looking back at her own high school experience while holding her daughter's hand, Nat realized: “Nobody taught me how to do this.” She decided she didn't want her daughter to grow up without the communication and confidence skills she needed to navigate the world. That realization became part of the inspiration behind Teen Talk. The Cookie Lesson One of the most memorable stories from the conversation involves something incredibly simple: Ordering a cookie. Instead of automatically ordering for her daughter, Nat encouraged her to walk up to the counter and ask for what she wanted herself. That small interaction became a lesson in independence, communication, confidence, and navigating the real world. And it worked. Years later, her daughter was confidently ordering for herself—even in Spanish. The lesson extends far beyond parenting: Sometimes confidence comes from being allowed to do the uncomfortable thing yourself. Speak From the Heart—But Don't Wing It Nat makes an important distinction between being authentic and being unprepared. Speaking naturally doesn't mean walking into a presentation with absolutely no idea where you're going. For someone beginning their speaking journey, she recommends having a basic structure: How will you start? What are your main points? What do you want people to understand? How will you bring the conversation to a close? That structure creates a framework. With enough practice, the structure becomes second nature, allowing the speaker to become more spontaneous and responsive without losing the audience. The Sweet Spot Structure + Practice + Authenticity = Natural Communication Your Stories Are Already Powerful Nat points out that speakers often already have the stories they need. The key is knowing which story illustrates the point you're trying to make. Your experiences become part of your communication DNA. The stories you've told hundreds of times may feel ordinary to you—but to someone hearing them for the first time, they can create an immediate connection: “That sounds like me.” And that is where communication becomes powerful. You Have a Message One of Nat's favorite questions to ask people is: “If you could share one message with the world right now, what would it be?” Maybe it's a message of: Hope Resilience Courage Confidence Change Possibility The challenge is to identify that message and then step boldly into what you believe. Because everyone has something to say. Sometimes we simply haven't taken the time to discover what our message is. Key Takeaways 1. Make the difficult things fun. When people feel relaxed and engaged, they're more willing to learn and experiment. 2. Confidence is built through experience. You don't have to feel confident before taking action. Sometimes the action is what creates the confidence. 3. Don't confuse authenticity with lack of preparation. You can be completely yourself while still having a structure. 4. Your stories are part of your expertise. The experiences you've lived through can become the most relatable way to teach someone else. 5. Your weird might be your superpower. You don't necessarily need to eliminate the qualities that make you different. You may need to learn how to use them. 6. Speak up when something doesn't feel right. Nat's experience on a cruise ship taught her an important lesson: there are ways to disagree, challenge something, and still communicate it well. 7. You already have a message. The question is whether you're willing to find it—and share it. Memorable Moments “My worth is not defined by my productivity or what I do.” “It had to be fun, it had to be playful, and it had to have humor.” “If you could share one message with the world right now, what would that message be?” “You have to find the gentle balance between natural and a bit of structure.” “It’s all about connectivity and being relatable.” “We all have a message to share.” The Big Idea You don't become an effective communicator by trying to become somebody else. You become one by knowing your message, understanding your audience, practicing your craft, and giving yourself permission to show up as yourself. The goal isn't to eliminate every awkward moment. It's to become comfortable enough with yourself that you can navigate those moments, learn from them, and keep going. Because sometimes the biggest thing standing between you and your next level isn't a lack of knowledge. It's simply the courage to use your voice.

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A movement designed to help you rise above mediocrity, break free from the grind, and build the life you deserve.

Information

  • Creator
    Alissa Bickar, The Consultress
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Rise Above The Grind