Big F*cking Dreams

Hannah Kissel
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Big F*cking Dreams Podcast is a self-help podcast for high performers (without the cringe). This self-development podcast offers step-by-step actionable tips from one of Australia's leading life coaches, Hannah Kissel, who has worked with clients from LinkedIn, Pinterest, Canva, Uber, Gartner, DocuSign, MongoDB, and many more. This podcast is for the high performer who ties their self-worth to their job performance but deep down knows there has to be another way. It's for those who want to expand their career AND live deeply by their values. This podcast is a RECLAMATION of confidence and personal power. Want more confidence? Less self-sabotage? Zero burnout? And a higher f*cking salary? Join Hannah every other Wednesday as she discusses topics like the truth about leaving your corporate job or how to stop self-sabotage. She explores how confidence and vulnerability can co-exist, the psychology of high performers, and shares actionable tools to achieve you're big f*cking dreams (like moving to Mexico City, quitting the job you hate, or finally starting your own podcast).

  1. 4d ago

    89: My Boss is Addicted to AI and It's Going to Ruin Our Company

    Ever felt like your boss is taking instructions from a chatbot? In this episode of Hannah Hotline, we're tackling a listener's story about a CEO who is completely obsessed with using AI in business, even when it's clearly producing garbage. When your leadership team treats AI-generated projections as gospel, it doesn't just create frustration; it kills team morale. Hannah unpacks the messy reality of workplace AI adoption and why so many leaders are using tech as a shortcut to avoid making real decisions. If you're struggling with an AI-obsessed boss and don't know how to speak up without sounding like a Luddite, this episode gives you the tactical roadmap you need to regain control. In this episode, we explore: Why leaders look for shortcuts and how it leads to a bad AI strategy. The difference between using AI for efficiency and outsourcing your core judgment. How to push back against tech-obsessed leadership without risking your career. Tactical ways to introduce "human validation" steps into your workflow. Knowing when to fight for the right decision and when to protect your own mental health.   #WorkplaceAI #LeadershipTips #AIinBusiness #CareerAdvice #HannahKissel #CorporateCulture   📩 Got a "Hannah Hotline" scenario you're stuck in?  Email hello@hannahkissel.com Free Career Confidence Course: www.hannahkissel.com

    12 min
  2. 88: How to Remain Creative in Motherhood

    Jun 30

    88: How to Remain Creative in Motherhood

    In this episode, Hannah sits down with Andrea Bombino - motherhood and career coach, matrescence expert, and longtime friend - to unpack the developmental transition into motherhood that almost no one talks about: matrescence. Coined in the 1970s and only recently brought back into the mainstream, matrescence describes the profound physical, psychological, and identity-level transformation that happens when a woman becomes a mother. Andrea breaks down why Western culture fails to recognize this transition the way it recognizes adolescence, and why high-achieving women in particular struggle to accept a season of life that doesn't match their old definition of success. This conversation goes deep into ambition after motherhood, the guilt of slowing down, burnout recovery, values-based decision making, and why creative hobbies — even five minutes of painting or journaling — are non-negotiable for staying grounded. If you're a working mother, an executive navigating parental leave, or simply someone redefining what success looks like in this season of your life, this episode is essential listening. Connect with Andrea Bombino: www.andreabombino.com www.LinkedIn.com/in/andreabombino/ Instagram: @andreabombino_ https://open.substack.com/pub/andreabombino 📩 Got a Big F*****g Dreams topic you want covered? Email hello@hannahkissel.com   #matrescence #motherhoodjourney #identitymothers #workingmama #workingmom #workingwomen #maternityleave #womenintransition #parentingsupport  Timestamps: 00:30 — Welcome Andrea Bombino to Big F*****g Dreams 01:30 — What is matrescence? Definition and origins of the term 03:00 — Why matrescence was rediscovered through postpartum depression research 04:00 — The different domains of matrescence: physical, relational, career, identity 05:30 — Why society treats teenage development with grace but not motherhood 06:30 — Western capitalist culture vs. how other cultures honor postpartum recovery 08:00 — Hyper-independence and the resistance to accepting support 09:30 — The shift in ambition: why some high-achieving women want to pause their careers 10:30 — Andrea's personal panic when she found out she was pregnant after a promotion 11:30 — "Pregnancy is the shortest ramp-up time for a career change" 12:30 — How ambition shifts and sharpens instead of disappearing 16:00 — Acceptance, impatience, and burnout recovery 18:00 — The invisible labor of motherhood and lack of recognition 20:30 — A constant practice in acceptance: choosing values over old definitions of success 25:00 — Behind the curtain: what "having it all together" actually requires 28:30 — Andrea's hobbies and the prioritization of fun in motherhood 30:00 — How career achievement became Andrea's sole measure of self-worth 33:30 — Finding healing through watercolor painting with her daughter 36:00 — The neuroscience of making things with your hands and lowering cortisol 39:00 — "Life is meant to be lived" — redefining what brings you joy 41:00 — The eighth-grade memory that shaped Andrea's relationship with happiness 43:00 — Why prioritizing hobbies as a mom is not selfish — bringing kids into the joy 46:00 — Moving to Italy, taking risks, and living life on your own terms 48:00 — "Do it your own way" — permission to change your mind 49:30 — Becoming more confident in who you are, the longer you're a mother 50:00 — Where to find Andrea Bombino + final thoughts

    52 min
  3. 87: Fired for Being Honest: How to Handle Injustice at Work

    Jun 22

    87: Fired for Being Honest: How to Handle Injustice at Work

    "I told the CEO the truth, and then I was fired." If you have a strong sense of justice and integrity, you've likely felt the sting of corporate politics. You see a problem, you fix it, and instead of being rewarded, you're sidelined or pushed out. In this episode, Hannah breaks down the high-performer's "Integrity Trap." She explains how to navigate these environments without sacrificing your soul, and when to realise that the system you are fighting isn't just broken - it's designed to exclude people like you. The bottom line: Integrity is your greatest asset. Don't waste it on an organisation that doesn't deserve it. 🚨 Got a career challenge?  Submit your questions and frustrations to the Hannah Hotline Email: hello@hannahkissel.com If you've been burned by corporate politics, you're not the problem—the system is. If you're ready to stop being 'the inconvenient one' and start building a career that actually values your integrity, grab my free Career Confidence Course at www.hannahkissel.com and let's get you aligned.   Timestamps: 01:30 — The "Good Operator" fallacy: Why honesty is sometimes a liability 03:00 — Why power trumps competence in corporate environments 04:30 — "Inconvenient to power": Recognising the dynamic 06:00 — Tactical advice: Presenting data without being confrontational 07:30 — Self-preservation vs. Selfishness 09:00 — When to stop trying to fix a broken ship 11:00 — If you're always getting fired for honesty, consider a different model   Hannah Hotline is sponsored by dominiquejingles — where quirky, clever, and corporate branding is reimagined. A client says, 'We just want something different.' Dominique turns that into a jingle that sticks in your head all day. DM Dominique on Instagram @dominiquejingles or email dominiqueenglish04@gmail.com

    10 min
  4. 86: The Truth About Identity Shifts: Moving From Burnout to Metamorphosis

    Jun 16

    86: The Truth About Identity Shifts: Moving From Burnout to Metamorphosis

    You've achieved everything you set out to achieve. So why do you feel like you're losing your edge?  For high performers and executives, we are wired to believe that more work, more hustle, and more sacrifice is the answer to every problem. But what happens when the very mechanism that built your success — your relentless drive, starts to feel like a cage?  In this episode, Hannah gets vulnerable about a recent shift in her own ambition. After years of building, growing, and hustling, she's found herself in the "mush" — that uncomfortable, transitional space where the old identity has dissolved, but the new one hasn't quite arrived yet.  Using Martha Beck's "Change Cycle," Hannah explains why you might be experiencing a loss of drive, why your ambition might actually be a lingering trauma response, and why the most productive thing you can do right now is "go gentle." The bottom line: If you're changing identities right now, you don't need to force a solution. You need to surrender to the cycle. Timestamps: 01:30 — Why identity shift is the ultimate high-performer struggle 03:30 — Healing PTSD and the death of "trauma-response" ambition 04:30 — It's not just business: Why identity shifts are universal for women 05:00 — Martha Beck's Change Cycle: The framework you need 05:30 — Stage One: The "Mush" (Death and Rebirth) 07:00 — The danger of hustling through the "Mush" 07:30 — A quick overview of Stages Two, Three, and Four 08:00 — The invitation to "go gentle" and surrender Key Takeaways: 1. Metamorphosis is not comfortable. 2. Ambition is often a trauma response. 3. Surrender is not giving up. 4. Natural cycles exist for women. 5. Your drive will change. #identityshift #careertransition #changecycle #careeradvice #highperformer #workplaceadvice #createyourownfuture #hannahkissel 📩 Got a question for the Hannah Hotline?  Email hello@hannahkissel.com Free Career Confidence Course: www.hannahkissel.com

    11 min
  5. 85: Is It Wrong to Take a New Job When I Know I Want a Baby Soon?

    Jun 9

    85: Is It Wrong to Take a New Job When I Know I Want a Baby Soon?

    In this episode, Hannah tackles a deeply relatable dilemma sent in by a listener who hates her job, wants to switch roles, but feels guilty about joining a new company while planning to get pregnant. Hannah cuts through the noise with her signature no-BS approach, reminding us that company loyalty is a two-way street, and more often than not, it only runs one way. From anti-discrimination laws to fertility timelines to the reality of mass redundancies, Hannah lays out exactly why you should never put your personal goals on hold for an organization that wouldn't think twice about making you redundant. If you're a high-performing woman navigating career transitions, family planning, or both — this one's for you. 📩 Have a dilemma? Send your letter to hello@hannahkissel.com to be featured on this podcast or the Daily Telegraph. ✅ Key Takeaways • Company loyalty is not a marriage contract. • Stop asking for permission to live your life.  • Pregnancy is not a professional failure. • "Dishonesty" is a control tactic. • Black-and-white thinking is keeping you stuck. • Prioritise the career you actually want. • The risk is not starting a family. The risk is staying in a job you hate. • Look for the employer who expects women to have lives.  Timestamps: 01:15 — The listener's dilemma: hated job, family planning, and the guilt trap 02:30 — Why high performers think being "dishonest" is a personality trait 03:45 — Corporate loyalty: why it's a one-way street (and why that's okay) 05:00 — The "last in, first out" myth and the reality of redundancies 06:30 — Pregnancy is not a "debilitating" factor — debunking the bias 08:00 — You don't owe them your life plan — privacy vs. dishonesty 09:30 — Stop falling into black-and-white thinking: finding your middle ground 11:00 — Why you should quit the job you hate now 12:30 — How to identify a supportive company during the interview process 14:00 — Final advice: Prioritise yourself, or you will be trapped by their priorities   🚨 Got a career challenge? Submit your questions and frustrations to the Hannah Hotline! Email: hello@hannahkissel.com Gain Access to the free Career Confidence Course: https://www.hannahkissel.com/careerconfidence Follow Hannah Kissel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmaekissel/ Connect with Hannah Kissel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahkissel/ Visit Hannah's website: www.hannahkissel.com ------- Hannah Hotline is sponsored by dominiquejingles — where quirky, clever, and corporate branding is reimagined. A client says, 'We just want something different.' Dominique turns that into a jingle that sticks in your head all day. DM Dominique on Instagram @dominiquejingles or email dominiqueenglish04@gmail.com

    9 min
  6. 84: Rigid vs Flexible: The Power of a Flexible Mental Model For High Performers

    Jun 2

    84: Rigid vs Flexible: The Power of a Flexible Mental Model For High Performers

    The most dangerous thing a high performer can do? Stick to a bad plan just because they "said they would."  We are taught that consistency is a virtue. We are taught that changing our minds is a weakness, a sign of indecision, or a failure of control. In corporate environments, being "Rule Book" (as Hannah was affectionately nicknamed at LinkedIn) is a badge of honour.  But there is a massive difference between commitment and rigidity.  In this episode, Hannah gets brutally honest about a massive U-turn she just made in her business. She'd announced one thing, put the plan in motion, and then, after looking at the data, her personal capacity, she chose to change her mind.  If you're a high-performing executive who uses rigidity as a trauma response to feel "safe," this episode is for you. The bottom line: The strength of your leadership is not measured by your ability to stay the course — it's measured by your ability to pivot when the course is no longer serving you or your business. Key Takeaways: - Rigidity is often a control mechanism. - Flexible mental models are your biggest competitive advantage. - "Rule Book" is a limiting identity.  - The "cost of entry" for high growth is flexibility.  - Re-evaluation is data-driven, not impulsive. --- If this episode resonates with you, please leave a rating. It's the biggest way you can support what we're building here, and every single review helps us reach someone who needs this. Big love, dreamers. Gain Access to the free Career Confidence Course: https://www.hannahkissel.com/careerconfidence The Truth About Imposter Syndrome: https://open.spotify.com/episode/129YgMPuJWGLQK5VB9CncR?si=a352646dfec6411a Follow Hannah Kissel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmaekissel/ Connect with Hannah Kissel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahkissel/ Quiz: Discover Your Career Alignment Score: https://hannahkisselcareerquiz.scoreapp.com   #mentalmodels #flexibility #adaptable #highperformer #careertransitions #careeradvice #decisionsmatter #workplaceadvice  #growthmindset #businessinsight    📩 Got a question for the Hannah Hotline? Email hello@hannahkissel.com

    8 min
  7. 83: Holding a Grudge at Work? Here's What It's Really Costing You

    May 26

    83: Holding a Grudge at Work? Here's What It's Really Costing You

    You're senior, successful, and capable, so why is this one coworker still living rent-free in your head?  In this Hannah Hotline episode, Hannah responds to a listener navigating a persistent grudge against the colleague who covered her maternity leave.  Hannah breaks down the real psychology behind why grudges stick, introduces the Grey Rock Method for disengaging from toxic dynamics, and reveals the surprising reason workplace drama keeps pulling you back in. #highperformer #workplaceadvice #workplaceculture  Timestamps: 01:30 — Why grudges have a "payoff" and what yours might be 02:30 — Taking personal responsibility: what was your part in this? 03:15 — What to clean up and do differently next time 03:39 — The Gray Rock Method: become boring, stop providing ammo 05:00 — Why you can't let go: the creative outlet theory 06:17 — The link between workplace drama and a lack of joy in your life 06:30 — How to fill your life so the grudge loses its grip  💬 Loved this episode? Know someone who's still venting about that one coworker? Send this to them. And if you've got a workplace situation you want Hannah to tackle on the Hannah Hotline, email hello@hannahkissel.com — your question could be the next episode. 🚨 Got a career challenge? Submit your questions and frustrations to the Hannah Hotline! Email: hello@hannahkissel.com Gain Access to the free Career Confidence Course: https://www.hannahkissel.com/careerconfidence Follow Hannah Kissel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmaekissel/ Connect with Hannah Kissel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahkissel/ Visit Hannah's website: www.hannahkissel.com ------- Hannah Hotline is sponsored by dominiquejingles — where quirky, clever, and corporate branding is reimagined. A client says, 'We just want something different.' Dominique turns that into a jingle that sticks in your head all day. DM Dominique on Instagram @dominiquejingles or email dominiqueenglish04@gmail.com.

    8 min
  8. 82: 9 Years No Alcohol

    May 19

    82: 9 Years No Alcohol

    Nine years ago, Hannah Kissel made the most important decision of her life. She was sitting in a bathtub, a few days before her 27th birthday, and she realised something: she didn't want to do this anymore.  Not life — but the version of it she was living.  In this deeply personal solo episode, recorded on her 36th birthday and 9-year sobriety anniversary, Hannah shares what she's never talked about publicly - the moment that changed everything, what sobriety actually gave her, and the new pattern she's currently working through: an addiction to struggle.  This isn't a cautionary tale. It's a blueprint. And whether you drink or not, if you're a high performer who constantly makes things harder than they need to be, this one's going to hit home.  In this episode, Hannah covers: - The bathtub moment: the decision that started everything - What her therapist said that she'll never forget  - Why addiction is really about discontentedness — not willpower - How an addictive, obsessive personality shows up in other areas (work, relationships, sugar, hockey romance novels) - Why the 12-step modality is the most powerful transformation framework she's ever encountered — and how she built her entire coaching program around it - Her current phase of recovery: the addiction to struggle, overcomplicating, and working harder than necessary - The intentional self-care routine that keeps her at equilibrium (and why she does it even when she doesn't want to) - Why "I could have drinking — or I could have everything else" is still the most clarifying thought she's ever had - Learning to let things be easy — and why that's harder than it sounds for high performers The bottom line: Sobriety was the foundation. Everything else — the business, the marriage, the novel, the life — was built on top of it. And the next frontier isn't doing more. It's learning to let it be good. Timestamps: 02:00 — The bathtub moment: sitting in the dark before her 27th birthday 03:30 — What her therapist said that changed everything 04:30 — Growing up in LA: why sobriety and recovery were normalised early 05:30 — Moving to Australia: the taboo around sobriety and why it went underground 06:30 — "I could have drinking — or I could have everything else" 07:15 — The addictive, obsessive personality and where it shows up instead 08:30 — Why addiction is discontentedness, not weakness 09:30 — The 12-step modality: why it's the most powerful transformation framework she knows 11:00 — How Hannah built her coaching program on the AA model  12:30 — What sobriety gave her: business, marriage, novel, PTSD diagnosis, herself  14:00 — The current phase: addiction to struggle — overcomplicating, overworking, overdoing 15:30 — The master's degree story: reading four extra books for a one-page assignment 16:30 — Learning to let it be easy — and why that's the hardest thing yet 17:30 — The intentional self-care routine that keeps her at equilibrium 18:30 — Closing: gratitude, what's next, and the invitation to reach out   If this episode resonates with you, please leave a rating. It's the biggest way you can support what we're building here, and every single review helps us reach someone who needs this. Big love, dreamers.   #highperformer #sobrietyisworthit #addictionrecoverypodcast #defineyourfuture #womeninbusiness #uncomplicated #highperformancemindset #lessismore

    12 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Big F*cking Dreams Podcast is a self-help podcast for high performers (without the cringe). This self-development podcast offers step-by-step actionable tips from one of Australia's leading life coaches, Hannah Kissel, who has worked with clients from LinkedIn, Pinterest, Canva, Uber, Gartner, DocuSign, MongoDB, and many more. This podcast is for the high performer who ties their self-worth to their job performance but deep down knows there has to be another way. It's for those who want to expand their career AND live deeply by their values. This podcast is a RECLAMATION of confidence and personal power. Want more confidence? Less self-sabotage? Zero burnout? And a higher f*cking salary? Join Hannah every other Wednesday as she discusses topics like the truth about leaving your corporate job or how to stop self-sabotage. She explores how confidence and vulnerability can co-exist, the psychology of high performers, and shares actionable tools to achieve you're big f*cking dreams (like moving to Mexico City, quitting the job you hate, or finally starting your own podcast).

Information

  • Creator
    Hannah Kissel
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Big F*cking Dreams

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