Beyond Should: women reinventing their lives, careers & owning their power

Lucy Reynolds

Beyond Should is a podcast about breaking down the barriers of our “shoulds.” “I should stay in this job… I should take that meeting… I shouldn’t say how I really feel… I should, I should, I should.” Sound familiar? But what if everything powerful, beautiful, true, and authentic lives on the other side of should? Hosted by Lucy Reynolds, certified coach and founder of The Murmuration Collective, Beyond Should invites listeners to stop living in their “shoulds” and start naming, claiming, and pursuing what they deeply want. Through stories, wisdom, and candid conversations with inspiring guests — thought leaders, creative minds, advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, and storytellers — each episode explores courage, self-trust, asking for help, embracing failure, and stepping into a more vibrant, authentic way of living. Expect laughter, honesty, vulnerability, and the occasional f-bomb as we challenge cultural conditioning, shed inherited expectations, and reclaim personal power. Because when we show up boldly, we elevate not only our own lives — but the world around us. Beyond Should premieres on Tuesday, March 10th in honor of Women's History Month. New episodes will be out every other Tuesday. Follow on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever good podcasts are found. See you on the other side of Should!

  1. TRAILER

    Introducing Beyond Should

    Beyond Should is a podcast about breaking down the barriers of our “shoulds.” “I should stay in this job… I should take that meeting… I shouldn’t say how I really feel… I should, I should, I should.” Sound familiar? But what if everything powerful, beautiful, true, and authentic lives on the other side of should? Hosted by Lucy Reynolds, certified coach and founder of The Murmuration Collective, Beyond Should invites listeners to stop living in their “shoulds” and start naming, claiming, and pursuing what they deeply want. Through stories, wisdom, and candid conversations with inspiring guests — thought leaders, creative minds, advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, and storytellers — each episode explores courage, self-trust, asking for help, embracing failure, and stepping into a more vibrant, authentic way of living. Expect laughter, honesty, vulnerability, and the occasional f-bomb as we challenge cultural conditioning, shed inherited expectations, and reclaim personal power. Because when we show up boldly, we elevate not only our own lives — but the world around us. Beyond Should premieres on Tuesday, March 10th in honor of Women's History Month. New episodes will be out every other Tuesday. Follow on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever good podcasts are found. See you on the other side of Should! Stay connected: Check out The Murmuration CollectiveJoin us on our next TMC Spain Immersive Retreat this May Interested in 1:1 Coaching with LucyConnect with us on Instagram & LinkedInSubscribe to our monthly newsletter

    2 min
  2. Our Vulnerability is Our Strength: What Lies Beneath  — with Sarra Fleur Abou-El-Haj and Nicole Fasolino

    05/20/2025

    Our Vulnerability is Our Strength: What Lies Beneath — with Sarra Fleur Abou-El-Haj and Nicole Fasolino

    It’s time for women to shine and have a voice! In this episode, Lucy is joined by Sarra Fleur Abou-El-Haj and Nicole Fasolino of The What Lies Beneath Project. They discuss Sarra and Nicole’s careers in the fashion industry and how their work led them to launch a new photography project celebrating the essence of women at their strongest, most authentic and beautiful selves. They also pull back the curtain on their decades-long friendship and how they support each other personally and professionally in good and bad times. Tune in for inspiration to let your vulnerability — and your mistakes — guide you forward. Then subscribe to our monthly newsletter to connect with other women seeking freedom and friendship. Jump into the conversation: [07:00] Nicole & Sarra’s career journeys [12:00] Female friendship & the power of community [15:00] The origins of The What Lies Beneath Project [22:45] Stories of the women photographed [29:15] Expectations vs expectancy [34:00] Working with women you trust & how to find them [38:30] Generational differences between women [45:20] Pearls of wisdom from Nicole & Sarra   Stay connected: Check out The Murmuration CollectiveConnect with us on Instagram & LinkedInSubscribe to our monthly newsletterFollow The What Lies Beneath Project on Substack and on InstagramFollow Sarra on Instagram @sarrafleurphotoFollow Nicole on Instagram @nicolefasolino

    50 min
  3. In Her Own Right: Cultivating Self-Trust & Making our Dreams Tangible  — with Chelsea Madeline

    04/01/2025

    In Her Own Right: Cultivating Self-Trust & Making our Dreams Tangible — with Chelsea Madeline

    Happy Spring, Collective Wisdom listeners! In this episode, Lucy is joined by Chelsea Madeline, the brilliant author of In Her Own Right. Chelsea shares her journey as a writer and community builder — telling us the stories of the women she’s gathered, the family she’s tended, and the words she’s written. This conversation is about all the ways women can support each other as we create tangible manifestations of our dreams. Chelsea also shares a few poignant passages from her book to draw us deeper into our soul’s work. Tune in for inspiration to go deeper together. Then join us in Spain this May to meet more women who can change your life. Use the code CREATE20 for 20% off. Jump into the conversation: [03:00] Why Chelsea created Boss Ladies Magazine [07:00] The importance of connecting deeper with women [10:30] Chelsea’s greatest fear & how it inspires her creative process [13:00] How to create tangible manifestations of our lives [19:00] Simple ways to gather communities of women [23:25] The questions Chelsea asks to deepen relationships [25:00] The beautiful story behind In Her Own Right [28:00] Cultivating self-trust & overcoming doubt [39:00] The stories of Toni Morrison & Lee Krasner [42:30] Finding space to create [45:00] How Chelsea wrote her book in stolen moments of time [49:30] The moment of great repair More about our guest: Chelsea Madeline is a writer, editor, and a mother exploring the world through a kaleidoscope of philosophy and poetry. She grew up in a fishing town in Maine, spent a decade in Santa Monica and currently lives with her family on a finca in Puerto Rico covered in mango trees and roaming chickens. Chelsea's editorial projects include Boss Ladies Magazine, Paper Airplanes, a newspaper of the poetry and art created during quarantine, and the Love Calendar. She is committed to creating contexts that evoke our brightest, softest selves. Stay connected: Check out The Murmuration CollectiveConnect with us on Instagram & LinkedInSubscribe to our monthly newsletterBuy Chelsea’s book In Her Own RightFollow Chelsea on Instagram @chelsea.k.madelineMentioned in the episode: Reshma Khan, Sofia Sprechmann

    53 min
  4. Career Forward: Why Your Job is Not Your Career  — with Christiana Smith Shi

    03/04/2025

    Career Forward: Why Your Job is Not Your Career — with Christiana Smith Shi

    We all know work-life balance is a lie. But how can we build fulfilling careers without sacrificing our lives or leaving our jobs in the process? In this episode, Lucy is joined by Christiana Smith Shi, a retail executive and management consultant formerly of Nike and McKinsey who is now the co-author of Career Forward: Strategies of Women Who’ve Made It — which just came out in paperback last week! Together they dive deep into how to take control of your career, build your professional equity, and cultivate your 360° life. Christiana also answers your questions about how to handle lay-offs, ways to avoid career breaks, and places you can find support when your company’s values don’t align with your own. Tune in for a powerful pep talk on getting your needs met while staying in the game. Then join us for an upcoming immersive in Montana, Spain or Kenya where you can get the support you need to design what’s next for your work and life! Jump into the conversation: [6:00] Creating options and opportunities for your career [9:30] The story of how Christiana wrote Career Forward with Grace Puma [15:00] Why your job is not your career [18:00] How to build rapport with recruiters and why LinkedIn matters [25:15] Building your professional equity [34:45] The power of staying in the game [38:15] Why work-life balance is a lie and how to cultivate a 360° life [51:00] How to steer into the skid and make career pivots [56:45] How to handle a lay-off or being fired [63:00] The pros and cons of being a “strong contributor” [69:20] Why it’s worth it to build a successful career Stay connected: Check out The Murmuration CollectiveConnect with us on Instagram & LinkedInSubscribe to our monthly newsletterBuy Christiana’s book Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who’ve Made It

    1h 18m
  5. The Fight for Alignment: From Corporate to the Boxing Ring — with Sarah Cunningham [BEST OF]

    02/18/2025

    The Fight for Alignment: From Corporate to the Boxing Ring — with Sarah Cunningham [BEST OF]

    Today we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations from season one where Lucy sat down with Sarah Cunningham, an executive leader at AKQA and a winner of the Golden Gloves tournament at Madison Square Garden. In this conversation, Sarah shared her inspiring journey from Ireland to NYC and the transformative coaching experience that helped her achieve alignment between her personal and professional life. A lot has changed for Sarah since we first shared this episode, so next week she’ll be back on the show to give us an update on her journey! We’ll also be sharing a new coaching container we’re launching for our community this spring. Before then, tune in to this inspiring conversation where we explore: [3:15] Sarah’s career dreams as a little girl and what advice she would give that little girl now [5:19] Inner Wisdom and how to know when you are in alignment with your values [15:27] What happened when Sarah had the courage to integrate her two worlds and share them publicly with others [19:19] Sarah’s story of stepping into the ring at Madison Square Garden to finally achieve her dream. [23:46] The power of asking for help and activating your Board of Advisors. [27:30] Sarah's final pearl of wisdom using a boxing metaphor of not staying in the pocket too long  Stay connected: Check out The Murmuration CollectiveConnect with us on Instagram & LinkedInSubscribe to our monthly newsletter

    32 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Beyond Should is a podcast about breaking down the barriers of our “shoulds.” “I should stay in this job… I should take that meeting… I shouldn’t say how I really feel… I should, I should, I should.” Sound familiar? But what if everything powerful, beautiful, true, and authentic lives on the other side of should? Hosted by Lucy Reynolds, certified coach and founder of The Murmuration Collective, Beyond Should invites listeners to stop living in their “shoulds” and start naming, claiming, and pursuing what they deeply want. Through stories, wisdom, and candid conversations with inspiring guests — thought leaders, creative minds, advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, and storytellers — each episode explores courage, self-trust, asking for help, embracing failure, and stepping into a more vibrant, authentic way of living. Expect laughter, honesty, vulnerability, and the occasional f-bomb as we challenge cultural conditioning, shed inherited expectations, and reclaim personal power. Because when we show up boldly, we elevate not only our own lives — but the world around us. Beyond Should premieres on Tuesday, March 10th in honor of Women's History Month. New episodes will be out every other Tuesday. Follow on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever good podcasts are found. See you on the other side of Should!