Over This Should

Pamela Meadows

Welcome to Over This Should, the podcast where we ditch societal expectations, challenge the "shoulds" holding women back, and embrace life on your own terms. Hosted by Pamela Meadows, this empowering series features inspiring conversations, expert insights, and practical strategies to help you set boundaries, boost confidence, and live authentically. Designed for women ready to step into their power, Over This Should covers topics like self-love, emotional intelligence, navigating relationships, and achieving personal and professional growth. Whether you’re redefining success, balancing life’s demands, or seeking inspiration, this podcast provides the tools and support you need to create a fulfilling, unapologetic life. Join us every week for uplifting stories, actionable advice, and thought-provoking interviews that empower you to live boldly and authentically. Let’s redefine what it means to thrive—together!

  1. 1d ago

    The Identity Shift No One Talks About (Motherhood, Meaning, and Being Needed)

    Send us Fan Mail You’re told “it’s not that deep.” But what if it is? In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela Meadows explores what happens when someone dismisses your experience—and why that voice often sounds familiar. After a stranger critiques a personal reflection on motherhood and identity, Pamela unpacks a deeper pattern many high-functioning women know well: tying self-worth to being needed. This episode is for women navigating identity shifts, especially in seasons of change like motherhood, leadership, and life transitions. You’ll hear a powerful reframe on meaning, emotional depth, and the hidden “bargain” behind being the reliable one. Pamela also shares a practical 3-step framework to help you respond when your inner critic (or someone else) tells you you’re “too much,” “overthinking,” or “making it a whole thing.” In this episode, you’ll learn: Why “it’s not that deep” can be a form of controlHow identity gets tied to usefulness and being neededWhat happens when roles change (especially in motherhood)A 3-step practice to respond without shrinking yourselfHow to decide when something matters—and who gets to decideIf you’ve ever felt like you need to make yourself smaller to belong, this conversation will meet you there—and offer a way forward. Follow, rate, and review Over This Should to support the show and help more women find it. Connect with Pamela: Instagram: @thepamelameadows Podcast IG: @overthisshould_podcast Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

  2. Jul 16

    Business Besties, Reinvention and Starting Before You’re Ready (with Christina Kimbrough and Brandi Zenzel)

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when two women get tired of shallow networking, waiting to feel ready, and pretending business can be separated from real life? Christina Kimbrough and Brandi Zenzel are the founders of Women in Business HR, a Hampton Roads community for women building what’s next. In this conversation, they share how one very long coffee meeting grew into a movement rooted in collaboration, honesty, and genuine connection. Christina opens up about her sobriety journey and how the search for an alcohol-free community led her to build Free Life, a non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, and social enterprise. Brandi shares what it looked like to deconstruct a successful life, enter a new professional season after 50, and stop allowing other people’s version of her to define what came next. Together, we talk about why readiness is mostly a myth, how action creates momentum, what “balance” really looks like during a season of growth, and why the right business bestie does not have to look, think, believe, or live exactly like you. In this episode: • Why testing the smallest version of an idea can teach you more than taking another course • How to build community that feels relational instead of transactional • The difference between preparing for imbalance and chasing perfect balance • What people-pleasing, hustle, and external validation can cost us • Why diverse perspectives make partnerships and communities stronger • How to stop dimming the qualities you were once told were “too much” • The “shoulds” Christina and Brandi are officially over This conversation is for the woman who is entering a new season, sitting on an idea, craving better community, or wondering whether she is allowed to become someone her old support system does not fully recognize yet. Guest contributor bios Christina Kimbrough Christina Kimbrough is the founder of Free Life LLC, an alcohol-free social enterprise offering a non-alcoholic mobile bar, curated bottle shop, events, and community experiences. She is also a writer and speaker exploring sobriety, recovery, social health, and meaningful connection.  Brandi Zenzel Brandi Zenzel is a relationship builder, longtime entrepreneur, and Membership & Relationship Manager for the Southside at Retail Alliance. She is the cofounder of Women in Business HR and is passionate about helping women create genuine relationships, navigate new seasons, and build what comes next.  CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA, BRANDI AND WOMEN IN BUSINESS HR Women in Business HR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninbusinesshr/ Join the Women in Business HR community: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aTAw7QFaE0y_GHynu0gL8Mx6C1V1cZjNGz8zX47PKkA/viewform Christina Kimbrough on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ckimbrough1/ Christina’s Substack: https://christinakimbrough1.substack.com/ Free Life LLC: https://freelifellc.com/ Free Life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freelifellc/ Brandi Zenzel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandizenzel/ Brandi Zenzel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/positivelypink Retail Alliance: https://retailalliance.com/ CONNECT WITH PAMELA Website: https://www.pamelameadows.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepamelameadows/ https://www.instagram.com/overthisshould_podcast/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepamelameadows/ What “should” are you over? Share this episode with the woman who needs permission to build what is next before she feels completely ready. Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

    Business Besties, Reinvention and Starting Before You’re Ready (with Christina Kimbrough and Brandi Zenzel)

  3. Jul 10

    Human Design, Burnout, and the Blueprint You Were Never Meant to Follow

    Send us Fan Mail What if you’re not bad at boundaries, business, rest, or decision-making? What if you’ve just spent years trying to succeed inside systems that were never built for your actual energy? In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela sits down with Sarah Larsen, a Business Frequency Architect who blends Human Design, energetic strategy, Reiki, and real-world business systems to help entrepreneurs understand how they are designed to operate. Together, Pamela and Sarah unpack Human Design in normal-person language, including energy types, authority, emotional waves, conditioning, capacity, and why so many high-performing women end up exhausted from saying yes to things that were never really theirs to carry. They also dig into Pamela’s own chart as an emotional generator with a 1/3 profile, which opens up a larger conversation about experimentation, decision-making, identity, burnout, parenting, leadership, and the sneaky ways we override our own knowing because society told us we “should.” This conversation is for the gold-star girls, the reliable ones, the women who can figure anything out but are quietly wondering why their life looks good on paper and still feels so heavy in real life. You do not have to become a completely different person. You may just need to stop forcing yourself into someone else’s blueprint. Sarah’s reminder is a powerful one: just because you can do something does not mean you should. And Pamela’s closing wisdom says it all: you do not have to become a completely different person. You can stop trying to force yourself into someone else’s blueprint. Connect with Sarah Larsen: Instagram: @iamsarahlarsen Website / Human Design Chart: https://www.sarah-larsen.com/free-hd-chart-download    Connect with Pamela: Website: www.pamelameadows.com Instagram: @thepamelameadows Podcast: Over This Should Question for you after listening: What are you still saying yes to because you think you “should,” even though your body has already said no? Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

  4. Jul 2

    Your Mid-Year Reset Is Not a Performance Review

    Send us Fan Mail Halfway through the year can feel like an uninvited performance review. Suddenly, there is pressure to account for every goal, habit, dollar, decision, and unfinished to-do list. And for high-performing women who already carry a lot, a “mid-year reset” can become just one more place to feel behind. Not today. In this solo episode, Pamela shares a gentler, more honest way to reset for the second half of the year. No 71-step overhaul. No productivity shame spiral. No pretending you can fix your entire life with a new planner and a perfectly color-coded July. Instead, she walks you through a simple four-part reset to help you:  Recognize what you are genuinely proud of  Identify what is quietly asking for your attention  Reconnect with what actually matters to you now  Choose one honest next move for the rest of the year You will also hear why fresh starts can be powerful, how to separate facts from the shame stories your brain adds on top, and why the goal is not to become a more optimized version of yourself. The goal is to make sure the life you are working so hard to hold together still belongs to you. Grab the free Mid-Year Reset Workbook in the show notes for reflection prompts, a Wheel of Life exercise, values work, and space to create your next right step. Get it here: https://pamelameadows.myflodesk.com/mofke40tyx  Because you are not a project with a failing grade. You are a human being living a real life. ♥  Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

  5. Jun 25

    Why Ambitious Women Still Hide: Visibility & Self-Trust with Caroline Brown

    Send us Fan Mail Why is it so hard to say what you mean, hit publish, set a boundary, or take up space in the room, even when you are deeply capable? In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela Meadows talks with visibility and leadership expansion coach Caroline Brown about what sits underneath people-pleasing, perfectionism, over-explaining, and the fear of being seen. Caroline shares how women can build self-trust and practice authentic visibility without turning their lives into another performance. Together, they unpack fear of success, the pressure to stay likable, why high-achieving women often dilute their voices, and how to take a brave next step without overwhelming yourself. You will leave with a grounded visibility practice to try before your next hard conversation, presentation, post, boundary, or big ask. This episode is for the woman who is done making herself easier to receive and ready to be seen without abandoning herself. Show notesIn this episode, we talk about:  Why being “the capable one” can quietly become a cage  The difference between authentic visibility and performing confidence  Why fear of success can be just as powerful as fear of failure  How people-pleasing and perfectionism can function as protection  What it means to be visible beyond social media and public speaking  Why leadership requires the willingness to be misunderstood  How to stop diluting your voice to stay likable  A practical tool for naming fear, building safety, and taking the next small step About Caroline Brown Caroline Brown is a visibility and leadership expansion coach who helps women in business stop hiding, trust their voices, and grow without burning out. Her work blends coaching, business mentorship, and body-based practices to help high-capacity women become more visible, fully expressed, and fully supported in their work and lives. Connect with Caroline  Website: Caroline Brown Coaching  Instagram: @carolinebrowncoaching TikTok: @CarolineBrownCoaching Book an Unmasked Mini Session: HERE Episode disclaimer This episode is intended for education and reflection. It is not medical, mental-health, or therapeutic advice. If you are navigating trauma, anxiety, or emotional distress, please seek support from an appropriately licensed professional. Chapters 00:00 The Confidence Conundrum 02:48 Breaking Free from the Cage of Expectations 05:57 The Power of Visibility and Authenticity 08:56 Transformative Moments: Eulogies and Visibility 12:03 Confidence as Action: The Journey to Being Seen 15:11 The Cost of Success: Fear and Responsibility 17:54 Building Safety in the Face of Fear 21:07 Recognizing Self-Dilution and Authentic Expression 23:54 The Mind-Body Connection in Visibility 26:52 Perfectionism and People-Pleasing as Protection 28:57 Identity Overhaul: The Journey to Self-Discovery 31:04 Regulating Emotions: The Path to Visibility 34:09 Balancing Success and Presence: A Day in the Life 36:44 Navigating Visibility: The 'Shoulds' of Women 39:16 Contradictory Expectations: The Pressure on Women 41:47 Leadership Expansion: Embracing Self-Care 45:15 Whole Life Visibility: Impact on Relationships 49:28 Creating Safety: Tools for Overcoming Fear 54:26 Awareness vs. Action: Navigating Nervous System Responses 56:14 Small Steps to Visibility: Building Self-Trust Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

  6. Jun 18

    The Launch Failed. I Didn't.

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when you pour your time, money, and heart into something, and nobody says yes? In this deeply personal episode, Pamela shares what happened when her RESET program launched to beautiful feedback but zero enrollments, all during the same week her daughter graduated from high school. This is a conversation about disappointment, fear, and the stories we tell ourselves when one thing doesn't work. You'll learn how to separate the facts from the shame spiral, treat failure as one part of your life rather than a verdict on your whole identity, and identify the next brave, useful move. Because the launch may have failed. That doesn't mean you did. Key Takeaways Why failure is local, not totalHow to separate what happened from what you made it meanWhy specificity interrupts shameHow to interpret fear without letting it predict your futureFour questions to help you move through disappointmentWhy you don't have to wait for the comeback to tell the truthHow successful people use fear as fuel Listener Reflection What happened, what are you making it mean, and what else is true? Find me on instagram: thepamelameadows Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

  7. Jun 11

    Who Am I When I’m Not Being Useful?

    Send us Fan Mail What if the reason you can’t rest has nothing to do with your to-do list? In this episode of Over This Should, Pamela Meadows takes on the question that hits like a stomach punch and a heart check: Who am I when I’m not being useful to everyone else? Through a very real story about lasting only about 90 seconds on the couch before her nervous system staged a tiny corporate takeover, Pamela unpacks the belief underlying so much over-functioning: that our worth is something we have to keep earning by being helpful, productive, needed, and easy to love. This episode is for the dependable one. The capable one. The “she’ll handle it” one. The woman who knows rest matters, but still cannot sit down until the dishes are done, the laundry is folded, the form is signed, the chickens are fed, and everyone else is okay. Inside this episode: Why usefulness is not the problem, but tying your worth to usefulness isHow “I should be able to handle this” becomes a quiet identity trapWhy rest can feel unsafe when your nervous system has learned to equate productivity with belongingThe difference between service and self-abandonmentWhy “everything is never done” matters more than we want to admitA simple practice to help you be “useless on purpose” and notice what comes upThe dishes can be important without being in charge of your humanity. You are allowed to rest before the list is empty. You are allowed to be a person in the middle of a life that still needs managing. And you do not owe anyone usefulness in exchange for the space you take up. If this episode hits home, send it to the woman who never sits down. Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

  8. Jun 4

    Girlboss vs. Tradwife: The Rigged Game You Were Never Meant to Win

    Send us Fan Mail In April, a poll claiming 47% of young women would rather be a "tradwife" than a "girlboss" got held up on national TV as proof the career woman is over. The internet promptly turned women into opposing teams. Almost nobody stopped to ask the only question that matters: who handed us this menu, and why does our whole identity have to fit on it? Girlboss or tradwife. Lean in or opt out. Blazer or apron. Powerful or peaceful. If you have ever felt the quiet pressure to pick a side, consider this your permission slip to flip the whole board. In this episode, Pamela takes apart the fake choice being sold to ambitious, exhausted women everywhere and shows why it was rigged from the start. The spoiler: girlboss and tradwife were never opposites. They are the same trap wearing two different outfits. One says "be impressive enough to be valuable." The other says "be agreeable enough to be chosen." Neither one says "be whole." In this episode: Where that viral "47%" poll actually came from, and why you are the product being argued over, not the customerThe 2007 research that explains why there is no winning either game: the double bindWhy the word "girlboss" always deserved the side eyeThe "founder mode" double standard that proves the whole thing is a script someone else wroteWhat you actually want underneath both labels (hint: it is not an aesthetic)Five things you can do this week to refuse the menu and build your own lifeMentioned in this episode: Catalyst, "The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned If You Do, Doomed If You Don't" (2007)The 2026 survey widely reported as showing 47% of young women favoring a "tradwife" pathLines worth screenshotting: "You are not the customer in this story. You are the inventory being argued over.""They gave you two ends of the same cage and told you to pick your favorite wall.""Range is not a problem to solve. It is power to reclaim.""You do not owe anyone a team. You owe yourself a life."If this one cracked something open, share it with the woman who is tired of being told she has to choose, and follow Over This Should so the next episode finds you. Connect and go deeper: Website: www.pamelameadows.com Get The Empowerment Edit newsletter: https://pamelameadows.myflodesk.com/weeklynewsletter The RESET Program: https://www.pamelameadows.com/reset-program-old Instagram: @thepamelameadowsRemember: you're allowed to be over it. I'll see you next week. Love this conversation? Follow Over This Should and share the episode with a woman who is ready to get over the expectations keeping her stuck. Learn more about Pamela Meadows, coaching, speaking, and upcoming programs at https://www.pamelameadows.com/.

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5
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8 Ratings

About

Welcome to Over This Should, the podcast where we ditch societal expectations, challenge the "shoulds" holding women back, and embrace life on your own terms. Hosted by Pamela Meadows, this empowering series features inspiring conversations, expert insights, and practical strategies to help you set boundaries, boost confidence, and live authentically. Designed for women ready to step into their power, Over This Should covers topics like self-love, emotional intelligence, navigating relationships, and achieving personal and professional growth. Whether you’re redefining success, balancing life’s demands, or seeking inspiration, this podcast provides the tools and support you need to create a fulfilling, unapologetic life. Join us every week for uplifting stories, actionable advice, and thought-provoking interviews that empower you to live boldly and authentically. Let’s redefine what it means to thrive—together!

Information

  • Creator
    Pamela Meadows
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Over This Should
  • Show Website
    Over This Should