Messy & Magnificent with Karlee Fain

Karlee Fain
Messy & Magnificent with Karlee Fain

Welcome to Messy & Magnificent with Karlee Fain - The place high-achievers with big heart and broad vision come to root and rise - one doable strategy at a time.  This show is equal parts inspiring stories and practical tools you can use this week to boslter your time, energy, and expertise. 

  1. JUN 29

    Why Groups Feel Like Herding Cats—And How to Actually Get Somewhere with Jack Mason-Goodall

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 Another work meeting, or family phone call, same exhausting dynamics. You know the scene: Someone brought snacks, there's polite chatter about the weather, and then... the same voices dominate while others quietly disengage. The tension builds, nothing really gets resolved, and you walk away thinking, "Why can't we ever just move forward?" Whether it's your work team, family group text, or friend group trying to plan a weekend getaway, the patterns are eerily similar. So, why do some groups just click while others feel like pulling teeth? It’s because every group has two essential elements: task and process. Most groups focus obsessively on the what while completely avoiding the more emotional (and sometimes messier) how. Groups get stuck when they avoid the messy work of actually being with each other. The way forward isn't around the feelings — it's through them. This week, Karlee kicks off Part 1 of a special 3-part series: How to Be in Relationship with People That Drive You Nuts. She’s joined by Jack Mason-Goodall, a UK-based psychologist who works in both clinical therapy and organizational consulting. Jack is her go-to collaborator when a client’s team dynamics require more than coaching; when the real issue is what’s happening beneath the surface. In this episode, you'll discover why some groups flow effortlessly toward their goals while others get trapped in frustrating loops of dysfunction. You'll learn to recognize the invisible emotional undercurrents that either fuel collaboration or sabotage progress. Most importantly, you'll walk away with practical tools to help any group, from your workplace team to your family dinner table, actually accomplish what they set out to do without losing their minds in the process. If you're ready to stop dreading group interactions and start understanding why they go sideways so you can help redirect them (without becoming the group therapist), then this is the episode for you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: (9:09) The difference between task and process(15:32) How the "superhero leader" myth keeps groups dysfunctional(21:26) Signs your group is leaning too heavily toward task or process(27:14) How to stop being the emotional holder(31:28) The radical idea that healthy groups can handle conflict and frustration Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Free Download: "Why You're Dreading That Meeting Again, and How to Stop Walking in Circles Together" RSVP HERE to join us for the LIVE Recording of Episode 3: Why Does This Always Fall on Me? How to Stop Being the Fixer in Every Room on Sunday, July 20th at 11am Eastern People Mentioned in this Episode: Wilfred Bion Maria Sirois Connect with Jack Mason-Goodall, BSc., MA, MBACP, MBPsS: LinkedIn AutismOptimismInternational.com Focused on relationship‑based play therapy, autism family support, coaching for parents, professionals, and businesses HowToBeUs.com Offers individual and group psychotherapy/coaching with a commitment to inclusivity (LGBTQIA+ affirming, anti‑oppressive) Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Que

    44 min
  2. JUN 15

    The Pause with a Pulse | How to Navigate the In-Between

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 You’ve finally gotten what you wanted—the freedom, the team, the space to breathe. So why does it feel so... strange? Somehow, the discomfort of this in-between feels more unsettling than the chaos you left behind. Or, maybe you’ve made the hard choice to step away from something that wasn’t serving you—or the world has shifted beneath your feet without your consent—only to find yourself floating in an unfamiliar space between what was and what’s next. Here’s what I know to be true: you’re not lost—you’re simply in the liminal hush. That powerful space between what was and what will be.  But… this in-between isn’t a detour.  It’s an invitation. This week, in the third and final part of our Navigating Change series, Karlee explores what it means to reside in the in-between—to no longer be who you were but not yet fully inhabit who you’re becoming. This tender, disorienting space is actually where transformation happens. In this episode, you’ll learn how to make room for the after and create space for what you’re becoming. You’ll hear prompts to help you identify the versions of yourself that can finally rest, and how to stay grounded through community and authentic discernment. You’ll also explore what it means to pause long enough for the wisdom to bubble up, rather than rushing to rebuild what wasn’t really working in the first place. If you’re ready to tend to your becoming rather than push through it, then this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: When change happens (even by choice)…and now it's weird? (0:45) Experiencing the Liminal Rush (or Hush) (2:14) When something new unveils itself (7:17)How to make room for the after (12:37)The wisdom of the in-between (18:05) Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 181: This Was Supposed to Feel Better | What real change stirs up Episode 182: Replace the 5-Year Plan | Why linear goals fail in nonlinear lives Living Through the Unveiling by Adrienne Marie Brown Workshop: Navigating Change: Steering Toward Your True North June 21–23 People Mentioned in this Episode: Adrienne Marie Brown  Dr. Maria Sirois Quotes Mentioned in this Episode: “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” -Lao Tzu Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Messy and Magnificent is produced by the folx at Ginni Media.

    24 min
  3. JUN 1

    Replace the 5-Year Plan | Why linear goals fail in nonlinear lives

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 You’ve meticulously crafted the perfect five-year plan, only to watch life crumple it up like yesterday's newspaper. Maybe you've found yourself questioning whether you're off track because nothing is lining up the way it "should." Here’s the thing… Clarity doesn't always come first. Maybe you're not behind schedule—you're just moving to a different rhythm.  Planning has its place, but reality often moves more like a spiral than a straight line. Sometimes the detour, the thing that feels like a kink in the railroad tracks, is the direction. And sometimes, a rigid timeline can feel more like a prison than a path forward. Lasting change begins not with forcing ourselves into plans that no longer fit, but with recognizing the season we're actually in. This week, Karlee shares her own story of a carefully constructed plan that got swept away in life’s wake—and how that interruption created space for what ended up laying the foundation for her work today.  In this episode, you’ll hear how the space between the moment you’re in now and the clarity you’re looking for can harbor the unexpected. You'll learn to identify whether you're in a season of replenishment, emerging ideas, building, or harvesting wisdom, and how to take grounded actions that match.  You'll also learn how the concept of "spiral mapping" can help you make the right-sized movement that respects and honors the season you’re in now. If you’re ready to embrace what’s outside of the linear and see what presents itself in the spiral, then this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: (0:53) When life interrupts your big plan(7:26) The problem with planning(8:31) Recognizing the season you’re in (11:22) The concept of spiral mapping(14:23) 3 prompts to get started Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Workshop: Navigating Change: Steering Toward Your True North June 21–23 Book: Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra Episode 181: This Was Supposed to Feel Better | What real change stirs up Episode 177: Rooted, Not Rattled | Leading with a Unified Power When Others Push for Control People Mentioned in this Episode: Dr. Maria Sirois Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Messy and Magnificent is produced by the folx at Ginni Media.

    23 min
  4. MAY 18

    This Was Supposed to Feel Better | What real change stirs up

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 Change doesn't always arrive the way we expect it to. Have you ever had your world turned upside down, only to realize later it was the doorway to something better? Something bigger? Maybe even something more honest? Whether change knocks politely or crashes through your door uninvited, it always asks something of you—and it offers something in return. Change is never just logistical. It’s always personal. Beneath the disruption lies a tender terrain where grief and opportunity dance together. The unexpected emotions that arise during change aren't signs you're doing it wrong, but evidence you're growing into someone with greater capacity. Regenerative leadership, in life and in our work, begins not with denying the messy parts, but with giving yourself permission to feel it all. This week, Karlee kicks off part one of a three-part series on Navigating Change. She explores the multifaceted nature of change, acknowledging and embracing the complex emotions that accompany transitions. In this episode, you’ll hear personal anecdotes and client stories that illustrate how both chosen and unexpected changes can lead us through grief to growth and help us uncover new opportunities in the process. You’ll learn practical strategies for navigating change with resilience and emotional honesty, inspiring you to reflect on your own experiences and the lessons that came with them. If you’re ready to feel what’s necessary in this moment so that you can process the lessons and lean into the growth that awaits, then this is the episode for you.  What You’ll Learn in This Episode: (5:00) Unraveling the complexity of change(9:10) Why change is always personal(10:09) The duality of grief and growth(14:55) Finding opportunity in disruption(18:48) Practical strategies for embracing change Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Book: Emotional Agility Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David  Study: Reinventing Workplace Development, Deloitte LINK TO NAGIVATING CHANGE LIVE COURSE: https://kripalu.org/presenters-programs/navigating-change-steering-toward-your-true-north People Mentioned in this Episode: Dr. Maria Sorois Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Messy and Magnificent is produced by the folx at Ginni Media.

    30 min
  5. MAY 4

    Self-Worth is an Inside Job | How to navigate self-doubt and lay the groundwork for joy

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 Pssst…here’s something you need to know: You deserve good things.  You are worthy of love, abundance, and joy.  Now, how does it feel to take that in?  What sensations do you feel?  Whether it’s a resounding, “Heck yes, I do!” or if your stomach is rumbling with self-doubt, notice this: your body is always giving you answers.  But culturally, historically, and capitalistically, we’ve outsourced the most critical aspects of our relationship to self to…everyone but ourselves.  The truth? Measuring self-worth is an inside job.  This week, Karlee rekindles memories with long-time friend, Jennifer Madriz, founder of Seventh House Designs. Having worked together in the fast and furious world of celebrity touring, finding sanity and stability amongst one another helped keep them tethered to reality.  In this episode, we keep the focus on joy, understanding how it functions as a leadership tool for self and how it manifests in our professional endeavours. You’ll hear powerful examples of challenging dysfunctional norms in relationships and unhealthy work environments, and the steadiness of allyship when things feel anything but normal. You’ll also learn how to reconnect with your body, the meaning of specific physical sensations, and what it feels like to move through the day-to-day when your body’s needs are being met. If you’re ready to be the boss of your self-worth and tap into more joy, then this is the episode for you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: (8:04) Reclaiming your right to feel and be seen(18:32) Your self-worth birthright (29:34) How to tap into your greatest internal resource(42:58) Challenging dysfunctional norms (47:04) Investigating your connection to self  Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 178: What IS Joy, and Why Should I Care About It at Work? Guided Meditation A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect with Jennifer Madriz: LinkedIn Instagram Seventh House Designs Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Messy and Magnificent is produced by the folx at Ginni Media.

    56 min
  6. APR 20

    Lost Your Mojo? | Lessons on Languishing and Rediscovering Joy

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 If you’re languishing and you know it, clap your hands. (Or roll your eyes.) Why acknowledge something as unglamorous as languishing? Because recognizing how you’re really feeling is the first step to getting unstuck. It's the moment the door cracks open. If we want something to shift, we have to be willing to see it first. And clapping? Laughing when you’re frustrated? Groaning mid-eye-roll? These are small but mighty ways we invite a little movement into stuck places — tiny rebellions that make space for joy to sneak back in. Joy and sorrow aren’t opposites — they’re dance partners. Feeling the heavy stuff is what stretches our capacity to feel the good stuff too. So if things feel foggy or heavy lately, you’re not broken. You’re actually right on schedule. The way through it... leads you back to your joy. This week, Karlee brings back an episode that dives into how joy and sorrow are woven together, and why pretending we’re "fine" never really gets us anywhere. You'll hear how acknowledging the hard emotions protects your energy and opens you up to the kind of joy that lasts. In this conversation, you’ll learn why numbing out never works, how joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin, and practical ways to spark more everyday delight—especiall in tough times. If you’re ready to acknowledge your sorrows so that you can clear a path for the joy behind them, then this is the episode for you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: (8:53) Joy isn’t one-size-fits-all — here’s the breakdown.(9:54) Joy + sorrow = deeper capacity.(12:09) Why acknowledgment changes everything.(18:14) Tiny ways to spark big joy.(21:03) The science says: joy is legit. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Article: Grant, Adam. “There's a Name for the Blah You're Feeling: It's Called Languishing.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html.  LISTEN NOW: The Boundary Brunch  Book: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran  Website: King, Pamela Ebstyne. “Pamela Ebstyne King.” The Thrive Center for Human Development, 8 May 2021, thethrivecenter.org/about/pam-ebstyne-king/.  TED Talk: Where Joy Hides and Where to Find it with Ingrid Fetell Lee People Mentioned in this Episode: Dana Lemay Adam Grant Kahlil Gibran Dr. Pamela King Ingrid Fetell Lee Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn

    42 min
  7. APR 6

    What IS Joy, and Why Should I Care About It at Work?

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 When’s the last time you felt a real spark of joy? Not just “this is nice” happy, but full-body, eyes-light-up, heart-exhale joy. Maybe it was curling up with your dog and a good book.  Swinging with your kiddo at the playground.  Or three whole minutes of peace with your coffee and the sunrise. That’s joy. And we don’t just want more of it—we need it. Joy isn’t fluff. It’s not a reward for getting everything right or being endlessly productive.  It’s something we cultivate—with small, everyday choices. Because joy gives us the zest and energy we need to tend to the hard stuff, too. It makes us more resilient, not less real. And yes—joy precedes success.  (It’s science, not just a sweet idea.) In this episode, we’re talking about what joy really is (hint: it’s not the same as happiness), why it matters so much for your health, work, and relationships, and how to actually practice it—even in the middle of your full, messy, meaningful life. You’ll learn how to recognize it, how to invite more of it in, and why joy might just be your most underestimated strategy for doing brave, beautiful things in the world. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Joy versus happiness (12:42)Why joy is important for our health (18:30)Joy in the workplace (20:22)Four ways to bring more joy into your life and work (31:31)Leaning into soft strength (36:02) People Mentioned in this Episode: Dana Lemay Sophie Cliff Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Notifly LISTEN NOW: The Boundary Brunch  Book:  The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Douglas Carlton Abrams,  Desmond Tutu,  Dalai Lama Study: Martín-María, Natalia et al. “The Impact of Subjective Well-being on Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies in the General Population.” Psychosomatic medicine vol. 79,5 (2017): 565-575. doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000444 Study: “Positive Intelligence.” Harvard Business Review, 8 Oct. 2014, hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence. Study: “Read @Kearney: Joy at Work.” Kearney, www.kearney.com/leadership-change-organization/article/?%2Fa%2Fjoy-at-work.  Podcast: Joy@Work podcast Video: Virtual Tour of Kickstarter Offices Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn Instagram

    42 min
  8. MAR 23

    Rooted, Not Rattled | Leading with a Unified Power When Others Push for Control

    🌟 Click to Send Karlee a Text - We Want To Hear Your Thoughts About This Episode 🌟 Ever noticed how some people seem to move through chaos with a steady grace, while others create more chaos and disconnection in their wake? It has to do with the power they access.  But when we shift from seeing power as a control to understanding it as a path to more steadiness and deeper connection, we open ourselves up to a more sustainable way of being in the world. Those moments when you feel truly seen, supported, and capable... they come from a different kind of power dynamic. One that lifts everyone up rather than keeping others down. The way we hold power determines whether we feel exhaustion or a sense of steady calm. This week, Karlee explores the four types of power to help you pinpoint whether power is being used to fragment or unite. Because when you're not operating from a place of scarcity and fear, you get to create spaces where everyone can thrive. And that changes everything. In this episode, you’ll learn to recognize the different ways power shows up in your life and work. You'll hear how power over dynamics often lead to exhaustion, while power to, power with, and power within create steadiness and connection. You'll also hear about what Karlee calls "the Godzilla effect"—when someone's words and actions don't match, and what to do about it.  If you’re ready to find more steadiness and clarity in how you move through chaos, then this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: (1:41) Understanding what power isn’t—and why it’s not about control(7:14) How power plays into the way we lead and connect with others(8:54) An intro to the four types of power and how to use them wisely(16:01) Cultivating power within as your anchor(20:45) Why community care is especially important right now Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 58: Being Lied To? The 4 Types of Power and What to Do When What Someone Says, And What They Do, Are Different Research Paper: Brene Brown on Power and Leadership Use the “Text Karlee” option above to send your Audio Comments and Questions to us. Connect With Karlee:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Messy and Magnificent is produced by the folx at Ginni Media.

    31 min
5
out of 5
44 Ratings

About

Welcome to Messy & Magnificent with Karlee Fain - The place high-achievers with big heart and broad vision come to root and rise - one doable strategy at a time.  This show is equal parts inspiring stories and practical tools you can use this week to boslter your time, energy, and expertise. 

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