Right There With You

Cass Cooper | The Chaos Whisperer

Right There With You is a leadership podcast for those of us navigating the intersections of work, life, and pressure in real time. Cass Cooper, The Chaos Whisperer™, breaks down what’s actually happening beneath burnout, misalignment, and leadership fatigue. Giving name, language, and permission to move differently. Each episode focuses on real tensions through expert conversations and real-world insight. We don’t just tell stories—we diagnose what’s not working and reframe how to lead through it. Here we know that: Soft skills are not soft. They are infrastructure.Burnout is a design flaw, not a character one.Clarity is how we stop surviving chaos and start leading through it. Join the Community:✨ Patreon: patreon.com/RightThereWithYou ✨ And Follow Cass: www.TikTok.com/just_cass2.0

  1. 6d ago

    Sometimes the Best Thing You Can Do Is Quit: Burnout, Boundaries, and the Courage to Speak Up

    What if quiet quitting isn't really about quitting at all? In this episode of Right There With You, Cass sits down with Christine Bongard, CEO and Co-Founder of the Women in Transformation (WIT) Network, to explore why so many high performers are quietly disengaging at work. As layoffs, AI, and constant pressure reshape the workplace, burnout and disengagement are becoming more common—but they're not the same thing. Together, Cass and Christine discuss how leaders can rebuild trust, why communication matters more than ever, and how self-advocacy has become an essential leadership skill. Whether you're questioning your career, feeling exhausted, or trying to lead others through uncertainty, this conversation offers practical strategies for navigating today's workplace. In this episode: • The difference between burnout and disengagement • Why quiet quitting is often a response to chronic exhaustion • How leaders can spot burnout before employees leave • Why self-advocacy feels so exhausting—and how to make it sustainable • The importance of communicating impact instead of activity • How AI can strengthen, not replace, authentic leadership • Why trust is the foundation of healthy workplace culture Memorable Quotes ✨ "Disengagement isn't laziness. Sometimes it's exhaustion." ✨ "It's not bragging if it's true." ✨ "Your talking points should be about impact—not your to-do list." ✨ "You don't have to disappear in order to survive your success." Resources 🔗 WIT Network: https://www.thewitnetwork.com/ 🔗 Connect with Christine Bongard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdbongard/ 🚀 Want to become known for your impact instead of hoping your work speaks for itself? Join the Executive Signal Lab at www.iamcasscooper.com. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who's been carrying too much quietly. Follow, rate, and review Right There With You to help more leaders find these conversations.

  2. Jul 14

    If It's Not a Hell Yes, It's a Hello No: Maintaining Boundaries

    What if the problem isn't that you need better boundaries? What if you're exhausted because everyone around you has adapted to your overfunctioning? In this episode of Right There With You, Cass sits down with executive coach and leadership strategist Kelly Nagel to explore why so many high performers become the emotional infrastructure for everyone around them. Together, they unpack the invisible labor of being the dependable one, why usefulness is often mistaken for worth, and how learning to protect your energy isn't about caring less. It's about creating a life you actually get to enjoy. From saying no without guilt to rediscovering hobbies, joy, and the courage to prioritize what matters most, this conversation is a reminder that boundaries aren't about restriction. They're about making room for your biggest yeses. If you've ever found yourself saying yes out of obligation instead of desire, this episode will challenge you to ask one simple question: If it's not a hell yes, why am I saying yes at all? In This Episode• Why "set better boundaries" is often incomplete advice for high performers • How overfunctioning quietly becomes your identity • Why competence often makes your invisible labor invisible • The emotional cost of always being the dependable one • Practical ways to recalibrate your commitments after you've already said yes • Why your calendar tells the truth about your priorities • How to stop confusing usefulness with self-worth • The importance of hobbies, joy, and creating a life beyond work • Why every "yes" is also a "no" to something else • How to build a life around your values instead of everyone else's expectations Resources Mentioned• The Burnout Bundle Practical tools for navigating high-functioning burnout, emotional exhaustion, leadership fatigue, and rebuilding a sustainable work-life rhythm. • The WIT Network Connect with Kelly NagelLinkedIn: Kelly Nagel Connect with Cass🌐 https://IamCassCooper.com 📧 Subscribe to the newsletter for weekly insights on burnout, leadership, work-life rhythm, and sustainable ambition. 🎙️ Follow Right There With You wherever you listen to podcasts. If This Episode Resonated...If you're realizing that you've become the person everyone depends on, it may be time to ask a different question. Not, "How do I fit more in?" But, "What am I no longer willing to sacrifice?" The Burnout Bundle was created to help you recover from high-functioning burnout, rebuild your work-life rhythm, and stop abandoning yourself in the process. Visit IamCassCooper.com to learn more. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who always says yes before they've checked in with themselves. It might be the permission they didn't know they needed. Keywords: burnout recovery, boundaries, overfunctioning, high performers, leadership, emotional labor, women in leadership, caregiver burnout, self-worth, work-life rhythm, burnout prevention, executive coaching, Kelly Nagel, Cass Cooper, sustainable leadership, personal growth, Right There With You podcast.

  3. Jul 7

    You Don't Need a New Routine. You Need New Standards.

    You're Not Broken. You're Burnt Out.You don't need another planner. Another productivity app. Another morning routine. If you've been trying to optimize your way out of burnout, this episode is for you. Cass sits down with burnout educator and Human Design guide Mel McSherry to unpack why so many high achievers mistake exhaustion for success, and why the answer isn't becoming more disciplined. It's creating standards that no longer require you to abandon yourself just to keep your life running. Together, they explore the hidden cost of overfunctioning, how external validation keeps us stuck in burnout, why optimization culture often misses the point, and how learning to trust yourself, not another system, is the first step toward building a life that's actually sustainable. If you've ever wondered why all the routines, planners, and productivity hacks still leave you exhausted, this conversation will help you ask a different question: What standards am I no longer willing to tolerate? In This Episode• Why burnout isn't a productivity problem • The hidden cost of chronic self-abandonment • How optimization culture keeps us disconnected from ourselves • Why asking "What do I actually want?" is harder than it sounds • What Human Design is and how it can help you understand your energy • How external validation fuels overfunctioning • The difference between healing yourself and fixing yourself • Why slowing down feels uncomfortable, and why that's important • How to rebuild a life that's actually sustainable Resources• The Burnout Bundle Practical tools for navigating high-functioning burnout, emotional exhaustion, leadership fatigue, and rebuilding sustainable work-life rhythm. • Human Design • She Profits by Mel McSherry Connect with Mel McSherryWebsite: https://melmcsherry.com Book a complimentary Virtual Coffee: https://virtualcoffeewithmel.com Instagram: @mel_mcsherry LinkedIn: Mel McSherry Connect with Cass🌐 https://iamcasscooper.com 📧 Subscribe to the newsletter for weekly insights on burnout, leadership, work-life rhythm, and sustainable ambition. 🎙️ Follow Right There With You wherever you listen to podcasts. If This Episode Resonated...If this episode gave language to something you've been carrying, the Burnout Bundle was created for exactly this season of life. Inside, you'll find practical tools to help you recover from high-functioning burnout, rebuild work-life rhythm, and stop abandoning yourself in the process. Visit IamCassCooper.com to learn more. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who's been trying to optimize their way out of burnout. You never know who needs the reminder that they aren't broken. They're burned out. Keywords: burnout recovery, burnout prevention, human design, sustainable ambition, work-life balance, work-life rhythm, emotional exhaustion, nervous system regulation, productivity culture, self-worth, leadership burnout, women in leadership, high achievers, overfunctioning, alignment, Cass Cooper, Mel McSherry, burnout podcast.

  4. Jun 30

    How to Stop Performing & Start Expressing Your Art

    There comes a point where performing for approval becomes more exhausting than simply being yourself. Cass Cooper sits down with filmmaker and creator Aysia Mitchell to explore what happens when you stop optimizing yourself for algorithms, employers, audiences, and strangers—and start creating from a place of honesty instead. Together they unpack the invisible pressure to be more marketable, more likable, more "professional," especially for Black women, queer creators, and anyone whose identity is constantly being evaluated online. The conversation moves beyond social media into something much deeper: the cost of self-editing and what it takes to create art without disappearing inside it. Aysia also shares how chronic illness unexpectedly reshaped her creative practice, why authenticity became her greatest creative advantage, and how building an audience wasn't the goal—it became the byproduct of telling the truth. If you've ever felt like you're performing your life instead of living it, this conversation is for you. In this episode:Why authenticity is a stronger creative strategy than perfectionThe hidden performance behind professionalism and personal brandingCreating while living with chronic illness instead of waiting until you're "better"How social media rewards honesty more than manufactured personasWhy overthinking kills creativitySeparating your identity from your audienceMaking art that reflects your life instead of hiding itThe difference between performing for validation and expressing yourselfMemorable moments"Connection matters more than marketability.""People don't connect with perfection. They connect with honesty.""Your art doesn't have to wait until your life is figured out.""The people who are meant to find you will find you."Connect with AysiaFollow Aysia Mitchell (Aysia Inc.) across social platforms for filmmaking, pop culture, gaming, fashion, WNBA commentary, and unapologetically authentic storytelling. If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who has been shrinking themselves to fit into someone else's definition of success. Subscribe to Right There With You for weekly conversations about burnout, creativity, leadership, work, and building a life that actually fits who you're becoming. Continue the Conversation Join the Right There With You Patreon community, where we continue these conversations about burnout, leadership, work, life, and making sense of pressure in real time. Because clarity isn't something you find. It's something you build. Hosted by Cass Cooper, The Chaos Whisperer™ Making Sense of Work, Life, and Pressure in Real Time. Website: https://imcasscooper.com Instagram: @just_cass2.0 TikTok: @just_cass2.0 LinkedIn: Cass R. Cooper

  5. Jun 23

    When the Life You Built No Longer Fits the Future You Want: Burnout, Over-Functioning & Reinvention

    What happens when the life you worked so hard to build no longer fits the future you want? In this solo episode, Cass shares a realization that took years to fully understand: burnout got her attention, but it wasn't the whole story. Just weeks after buying her first home, accepting a new leadership role, and checking every box she thought success required, the world shut down. What she felt wasn't panic—it was relief. That moment sparked a deeper question: What if the problem isn't that you're failing? What if you've simply outgrown the life you built? 💭 In this episode: ✨ Why burnout is often a signal—not the root issue ✨ The hidden cost of over-functioning ✨ How achievement can quietly become a survival strategy ✨ What happens when success stops feeling like success ✨ The difference between exhaustion and disconnection ✨ How to recognize when a life that once made sense no longer fits 💡 Key Takeaways • Burnout often gets our attention, but it may not be the whole story. • Over-functioning is frequently rewarded, making it difficult to recognize when it has become unsustainable. • Disconnection happens gradually when we spend years prioritizing everyone else's needs over our own. • Sometimes the goal isn't getting back to who you used to be. Sometimes the goal is understanding who you've become. • Clarity isn't a luxury—it's how we make sense of work, life, and pressure in real time. 🗣️ Memorable Quotes "The more indispensable you become to everyone else, the easier it becomes to disappear from yourself." "I spent years building a relationship with achievement and almost no time maintaining a relationship with myself." "Some people aren't burned out from work itself. They're burned out from constantly performing versions of themselves that no longer feel true." "Clarity isn't always knowing exactly where you're going. Sometimes it's recognizing what no longer belongs." 🎯 Ready for More Clarity? The Clarity Sprint is a focused 90-minute coaching experience designed for people who feel successful on paper but disconnected from their own lives. Together we'll identify what's creating friction, what expectations you're carrying, and what clarity might look like moving forward. 🔗 Learn more at iamcasscooper.com ❤️ If you've ever looked around at a life that appears successful on paper but feels increasingly disconnected from who you're becoming, this episode is for you. Because the future you want may require a different version of success. Continue the Conversation Join the Right There With You Patreon community, where we continue these conversations about burnout, leadership, work, life, and making sense of pressure in real time. Because clarity isn't something you find. It's something you build. Hosted by Cass Cooper, The Chaos Whisperer™ Making Sense of Work, Life, and Pressure in Real Time. Website: https://imcasscooper.com Instagram: @just_cass2.0 TikTok: @just_cass2.0 LinkedIn: Cass R. Cooper

  6. Jun 16

    What If You Fly? Burnout, Reinvention, and the Myth of the Perfect Career

    What if the life you're meant to build doesn't look anything like the one you planned? In this episode of Right There With You, Cass sits down with leadership expert, entrepreneur, and founder of It's Not That Serious, Carrie Hunter, for an honest conversation about burnout, reinvention, and why success is rarely a straight line. After spending years building a successful career in technology and construction, Carrie found herself facing a reality many high-achieving women know all too well: the version of success she'd worked so hard to create was no longer sustainable. What followed was a difficult but necessary reset that ultimately led her toward a more authentic life and purpose. Together, Cass and Carrie explore the hidden costs of perfectionism, the loneliness that often accompanies leadership, and why so many women feel trapped between the expectations they've inherited and the lives they actually want. If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to change direction, redefine success, or pursue something that feels more aligned, this conversation is for you. In This EpisodeThe difference between stress and true burnoutWhy self-care alone won't solve burnoutThe hidden loneliness many women experience in leadershipLetting go of the myth of the perfect career pathHow fear keeps us stuck in situations we've outgrownThe role of community, storytelling, and vulnerability in healingWhy passion matters more than having everything figured outHow to stop focusing on "What if I fail?" and start asking "What if I fly?"About Carrie HunterCarrie Hunter is the CEO and founder of It's Not That Serious, a global women's lifestyle brand and storytelling platform focused on community, mentorship, joy, and reinvention. With more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning technology, construction, and executive leadership, Carrie is passionate about helping women build meaningful careers while staying connected to themselves and each other. LinkedIn: Carrie Hunter TikTok: @carrie_denver Website: www.itsnotthatserious.com Continue the ConversationJoin the Right There With You Patreon community, where we continue these conversations about burnout, leadership, work, life, and making sense of pressure in real time. Because clarity isn't something you find. It's something you build. Hosted by Cass Cooper, The Chaos Whisperer™ Making Sense of Work, Life, and Pressure in Real Time. Website: https://imcasscooper.com Instagram: @just_cass2.0 TikTok: @just_cass2.0 LinkedIn: Cass R. Cooper

  7. Jun 10

    Healing Isn't Hustle

    What if your exhaustion is not a personal failure — but evidence that the pace was never sustainable to begin with? In this episode of Right There With You, Cass Cooper sits down with theologian, storyteller, and community advocate Ciara Jones for an honest conversation about burnout, nervous system exhaustion, identity, and the pressure Black women often feel to survive at impossible speeds. Together, they unpack how hustle culture disconnects people from their bodies, how overachievement becomes a coping mechanism, and why healing cannot happen inside systems that constantly demand performance. This conversation is not about optimizing yourself harder. It’s about reimagining rest, redefining worth, and learning how to build a life that does not require constant self-abandonment. In This EpisodeWhy society often rewards visible distress more than genuine well-beingThe emotional and physical signs of chronic burnoutHow Black women are conditioned to normalize survival modeThe connection between identity, usefulness, and overworkWhy rest is a form of reconnection — not lazinessThe spiritual consequences of never slowing downCommunity care, support systems, and ecosystems of healingWhat “new information, new decision” means in recoveryWhy quitting can sometimes be wisdom instead of failureReimagining identity outside of achievement and productivityKey TakeawaysExhaustion is not proof of worth.Survival mode is not the same thing as living.Healing requires honesty about your actual capacity.Burnout is often systemic before it becomes personal.Rest is not something you earn after collapse.Community is essential to recovery and regulation.You are allowed to outgrow identities built around suffering.Memorable Quotes“Society rewards distress, not well-being.” “New information, new decision.” “It’s okay to quit every day if you need to.” “Some people are not burned out from work alone. They’re burned out from never feeling safe enough to rest.” “Healing starts the moment we stop treating exhaustion like a professional flaw.” Guest: Ciara JonesCiara Jones is a theologian, storyteller, and community-centered advocate whose work explores spirituality, embodiment, healing, and emotional honesty. Through her platform and practice, she helps people reconnect with themselves outside the demands of performance culture and chronic overfunctioning. Connect with CiaraInstagram: TheGardeningTheologian Connect with Cass CooperWebsite: https://imcasscooper.com Instagram: @just_cass2.0 TikTok: @just_cass2.0 LinkedIn: Cass R. Cooper Right There With You is a podcast about leadership, emotional honesty, burnout, identity, and learning how to stop surviving long enough to actually live.

  8. Jun 4

    Let's Talk About Burnout

    Hosted by Cass Cooper What if work-life balance was never actually possible? In the premiere episode of Season 3 of Right There With You, Cass Cooper unpacks the pressure of trying to “balance” life inside systems that reward exhaustion, over-functioning, and constant productivity. This episode explores: why burnout is often a systems issue, not a personal failurethe difference between balance and rhythmhigh-functioning burnout and emotional fatigueidentity, ambition, and overextensionrebuilding after self-doubt, disruption, and reinventionCass also shares the deeply personal truth behind relaunching the podcast again after years of helping other people amplify their voices while quietly questioning her own. This conversation is not about perfection. It’s about honesty. Because clarity is how we stop surviving chaos and start leading through it. About Cass CooperCass Cooper is a speaker, writer, strategist, and leadership advisor known as The Chaos Whisperer™. Her work focuses on leadership, emotional intelligence, burnout prevention, organizational culture, communication, and clarity in high-pressure environments. Through speaking, consulting, podcasting, and digital education, Cass helps leaders, creators, and organizations navigate complexity while building more sustainable and human-centered ways of working and living. She is the founder of Know Better Do Better Consulting and Know Better Studios. Key TakeawaysWork-life balance is often an unrealistic expectation, not a sustainable strategyBurnout can show up as numbness, disconnection, and loss of selfHigh performers frequently normalize overextensionSustainable leadership requires rhythm, not perfectionClarity starts with honesty about what is no longer working Connect with Cass CooperWebsite: iamcasscooper.com LinkedIn: Cass Cooper on LinkedIn TikTok: @just_cass2.0 Want More?If this episode gave language to the exhaustion, overwhelm, or misalignment you’ve been carrying, the Burnout Bundle was built for exactly this kind of season. Because burnout is not always about doing too much. Sometimes it’s about carrying a life that no longer fits.

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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Right There With You is a leadership podcast for those of us navigating the intersections of work, life, and pressure in real time. Cass Cooper, The Chaos Whisperer™, breaks down what’s actually happening beneath burnout, misalignment, and leadership fatigue. Giving name, language, and permission to move differently. Each episode focuses on real tensions through expert conversations and real-world insight. We don’t just tell stories—we diagnose what’s not working and reframe how to lead through it. Here we know that: Soft skills are not soft. They are infrastructure.Burnout is a design flaw, not a character one.Clarity is how we stop surviving chaos and start leading through it. Join the Community:✨ Patreon: patreon.com/RightThereWithYou ✨ And Follow Cass: www.TikTok.com/just_cass2.0

Information

  • Creator
    Cass Cooper | The Chaos Whisperer
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Cass Cooper | The Chaos Whisperer

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