The Tessa Tubbs Podcast

Tessa Tubbs
  • 5,0 (3)
  • DÉVELOPPEMENT PERSONNEL
  • CHAQUE SEMAINE

The Tessa Tubbs Podcast is a space for Self-Leadership: identity, emotional maturity, agency, boundaries, integrity, burnout, and reinvention. After years helping leaders navigate strategy and complexity inside organizations, I followed a deeper question: “What if the life you built was never meant for you?” Each week we explore how to know yourself accurately, own your choices, and live aligned with what’s true. Expect 30+ minute conversations plus 5-minute quick hits you can apply immediately.

  1. Drained by Over-Functioning

    -1 J

    Drained by Over-Functioning

    If you’re ending most days emotionally exhausted, it might not be your workload, it might be your self-abandonment. In this solo episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, Tessa explores a powerful self-leadership question she asks when work leaves her drained:“Where did I abandon myself to keep the peace?” She unpacks how chronic exhaustion often comes from over-functioning: closing the gap for others, rescuing unprepared teammates, and carrying responsibilities that were never yours to hold. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to recognize the difference between a healthy “season of sprinting” and an unsustainable way of living The hidden trade-offs we make when we over-function (movement, nutrition, mental clarity, stress release) Why your energy is often drained not because you can’t handle hard work, but because you’re abandoning your needs to keep things smooth How stepping back may require new boundaries, and why boundaries often create conflict when people are used to crossing them If you’ve been living in “closing the gap” mode for months at a time, this episode is an invitation back to self-leadership: stop abandoning yourself and start making different choices.

    3 min
  2. From Waiting to Ownership: Reclaiming Authorship of Your Life

    31 MARS

    From Waiting to Ownership: Reclaiming Authorship of Your Life

    Have you ever felt unsettled, but you can’t name why? In this short solo episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, Tessa shares a simple self-leadership question that helps her stop rushing to “fix the feeling” and instead get honest about what’s actually happening beneath the surface. She unpacks why that internal tension often isn’t confusion, it’s misalignment: the gap between what you already know is true and what you’ve been tolerating. You’ll hear: The question Tessa asks when she feels “off” and can’t explain itWhy slowing down creates the clarity we keep trying to forceHow “waiting for something outside of you to change” can become a trapThe moment self-leadership shifts from blame to authorshipWhy owning your choices steadies you even when circumstances stay imperfectIf you’re in a season of waiting, stuckness, or quiet internal tension, this episode is an invitation to reclaim agency, tell the truth, and make the next clean decision. 🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: Where am I out of alignment with something I already know is true?

    4 min
  3. New Mission

    24 MARS

    New Mission

    You may have noticed a slight change in content this year. Over the last several years, my work has largely lived inside organizations: helping leaders execute strategy, navigate complexity, and succeed in corporate environments. Much of what I’ve learned and taught over nearly three decades still matters deeply—and you’ll continue to hear elements of that here. But over time, something else has been emerging. Last year, I gave a TEDx Talk centered on a question that wouldn’t let me go:What if the life you built was never meant for you? That question didn’t come from theory. It came from my own story—and from years of listening to incredibly capable, successful people quietly wrestle with misalignment, exhaustion, and a sense that they were living someone else’s version of success. As I’ve continued this work—with clients, in my research, and in my own life—I’ve found myself moving beyond tactics and titles, and more deeply into what it actually means to lead yourself. Not just to perform well.Not just to succeed externally.But to understand yourself accurately, take ownership of your choices, and live in alignment with what you know to be true. That shift—from corporate success to individual success—has become increasingly important to me. And it’s what this podcast is now centered on. This season, the Tessa Tubbs Podcast is a space for conversations about Self-Leadership: how people come to know themselves, how they make consequential choices, and how they navigate the tension between who they’ve been and who they’re becoming. If you’d like to explore more of the thinking behind this shift, you can find my TEDx TALK linked in the show notes. It offers deeper context for the journey that led me here. Watch my TEDx Talk HERE: https://youtu.be/3pU5kMaX8wk?si=ZRmsfIfybVINUXbm

    2 min
  4. The Struggle for Authenticity

    17 MARS

    The Struggle for Authenticity

    There was a season when I thought belonging required shrinking parts of myself. I didn’t call it that at the time. I told myself I was being adaptable, agreeable, “easy to work with.” In this solo episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, I share a deeply personal story about what it costs to chase acceptance in environments that reward assimilation and punish authenticity. From navigating power dynamics where ideas were taken and credited elsewhere, to witnessing microaggressions that shaped how I showed up for years, I unpack the hidden emotional labor behind “fitting in.” This episode explores: The difference between belonging and abandoning yourself How subtle signals teach us to shrink, accommodate, and stay agreeable What it looks like to stop performing acceptance and start living in integrity Why self-leadership sometimes sounds like: “Let’s get value to the client, but I’m not going to pretend I don’t know what I know.” If you’ve ever felt the pressure to edit yourself to be accepted, this episode is an invitation back to truth: real belonging doesn’t require self-abandonment.

    5 min
  5. The Most Productive Thing You’re Not Doing with guest Adam Tanaka

    10 MARS

    The Most Productive Thing You’re Not Doing with guest Adam Tanaka

    Burnout is normalized. Productivity is glorified. And many high-functioning people are quietly exhausted, doing all the “right” things while sensing something is off. In this episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, Tessa sits down with Adam Tanaka: founder, serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and a vocal challenger of burnout culture who helps leaders rediscover unstructured play as a catalyst for creativity, collaboration, and mental wellbeing. After building and selling his first company after 17 years, Adam expected celebration, but instead found himself pulled back into the same overwork rhythm. What followed became a defining reset: a mirror from his partner, a trip to Iceland, and a moment of breaking down in a rental car surrounded by breathtaking beauty, realizing he was losing his sense of self. Together, Tessa and Adam explore: The identity trap of “Founder Adam” and the journey back to Kid Adam: adventure, freedom, creativity Why the path to thriving as an adult sometimes starts by reconnecting with who you were as a kid How to stop waiting for permission or validation and make choices from agency instead The daily “Take Five” practice: five minutes of play with no end result, just nervous-system relief and reset Why environment matters, and what it looks like to choose a new season (including Adam’s move from Nashville to Asheville) This episode is an invitation to slow down long enough to notice what’s asking for your attention, name one truth you’ve been avoiding, and take one small step toward a life built with intention instead of autopilot. 🔗 Connect with Adam Website: https://adamtanaka.comKids brand: https://cavehousesupply.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtanaka/Instagram: @adamtanaka

    37 min
  6. Leading Yourself Through Discomfort: Stay Present, Stop Avoiding

    3 MARS

    Leading Yourself Through Discomfort: Stay Present, Stop Avoiding

    In this solo episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, Tessa shares practical, real-life strategies for leading yourself through discomfort without numbing out, spiraling, or escaping into overwork, overeating, shopping, scrolling, or people-pleasing. You’ll learn how to tell the difference between: Moments where you need to stay present and work the plan, and Moments where you genuinely need to soothe your system and regroup Tessa walks through her personal “go-to” tools, including: Changing your scenery to reset your nervous system Warmth and touch cues (a warm mug, a soft blanket) to calm the body and stay grounded Journaling to get thoughts out of your head and back into reality (and rewrite the narrative) Talking it out with a trusted person, and how AI can support reflection in the moment Prayer as an anchor for those who are people of faith If you’ve been trying to “push through” discomfort by outrunning it, this episode will help you build self-leadership that’s honest, grounded, and sustainable. 🎧 Listen now and practice staying present, telling the truth, and choosing what you need on purpose.

    4 min
  7. Who Are You After the Defining Moment with Former First-Round NFL Draft Pick Dr. Kevin Dyson

    24 FÉVR.

    Who Are You After the Defining Moment with Former First-Round NFL Draft Pick Dr. Kevin Dyson

    This season of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast marks a shift. We’re moving beyond tactics and titles and into Self-Leadership: how we come to know ourselves accurately, take ownership of our choices, and live in alignment with what we know to be true. In this episode, Tessa sits down with Dr. Kevin Dyson, former NFL wide receiver turned educator, leader, and founder. While Kevin is widely known for unforgettable moments on the field, this conversation focuses on what he’s built beyond the spotlight: a life shaped by growth, humility, reinvention, and service. Together, they explore: How early lessons from Kevin’s mother shaped his work ethic and values (and why “you can’t skip steps” still matters) What happens when you achieve the dream early, and then have to start over at 30 The identity shift from public success to purpose, impact, and legacy in education How adversity and career-ending injuries created perspective and reinvention Why “letting go” of past hurts, guilt, resentment, and self-punishment is often the doorway to growth Kevin also shares the “full circle” moment of keeping a promise he made at 12 years old: using his success to create stability and freedom for his mom. This is a powerful conversation about choice, identity, legacy, and becoming—and an invitation to take one honest step toward alignment. Learn more about Kevin’s work: Kevin Dyson: https://kevindyson.comMusic City Academy: https://musiccityacademy.org (donate + learn more)Social media: @ktdyson87

    46 min
  8. 3 Myths That Hold Us Back From Receiving Feedback with Nigel Bristow

    15 JANV.

    3 Myths That Hold Us Back From Receiving Feedback with Nigel Bristow

    🎙️ Episode Description: 3 Myths That Hold Us Back From Receiving Feedback (with Nigel Bristow) Feedback can be one of the most powerful accelerators of leadership growth… and one of the most emotionally complicated. In this episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, Tessa is joined by Nigel Bristow (bestselling author, speaker, and feedback thought leader, and author of Feedback Breakthrough) for a practical, deeply human conversation about why receiving feedback is often harder than giving it and how to build the resilience to use feedback as fuel instead of friction. Together, they unpack three common myths that keep leaders stuck, defensive, or discouraged and offer reframes and practices to help you approach feedback with more clarity, humility, and confidence. Why even confident, self-aware leaders still struggle to receive feedback well How “inaccurate” feedback can still be useful and reveal your real-world impact Why discomfort doesn’t mean failure; it often means growth is happening Practical ways to build resilience so feedback becomes a source of strength, not stress If you’ve ever felt your nervous system spike when feedback comes your way, this episode will help you shift from protecting your ego to growing your leadership. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why even confident, self-aware leaders still struggle to receive feedback well How “inaccurate” feedback can still be useful and reveal your real-world impact Why discomfort doesn’t mean failure; it often means growth is happening Practical ways to build resilience so feedback becomes a source of strength, not stress If you’ve ever felt your nervous system spike when feedback comes your way, this episode will help you shift from protecting your ego to growing your leadership. About Nigel: Nigel Bristow has a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in organizational behavior. As the founder of Targeted Learning, Nigel had the privilege of consulting with, and developing leadership programs for, several outstanding Fortune 500 companies, including 3M, Microsoft, Boeing, Textron, and ConocoPhillips. Nigel retired several years ago after selling Targeted Learning—only to come out of retirement in 2025 with the publication of his best-selling book, The Feedback Breakthrough: Harness the Gift of Feedback and Bring Your A-Game to Life. Nigel is currently the founder and president of Feedback HQ, LLC. The mission of Feedback HQ is to help leaders harness the power of feedback to win—as individuals, teams, and organizations.  FdbkHQ.com

    47 min
Tout afficher (36)

Bande-annonce

Notes et avis

5
sur 5
3 notes

À propos

The Tessa Tubbs Podcast is a space for Self-Leadership: identity, emotional maturity, agency, boundaries, integrity, burnout, and reinvention. After years helping leaders navigate strategy and complexity inside organizations, I followed a deeper question: “What if the life you built was never meant for you?” Each week we explore how to know yourself accurately, own your choices, and live aligned with what’s true. Expect 30+ minute conversations plus 5-minute quick hits you can apply immediately.

Informations

  • Création
    Tessa Tubbs
  • Années d’activité
    2024 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    36
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Tessa Tubbs
  • Site web de l’émission
    The Tessa Tubbs Podcast