Still Figuring It Out

Emily and Marc Pitman
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with Emily & Marc. After doing life, family, and business together for thirty years, we are still figuring it out. Both fiercely independent first borns, we are committed to continuing to grow and try new things in our entrepreneurial adventures.

  1. 5D AGO

    SFIO 401 - At the Threshold of Season 4

    📋 Episode Summary Season 4 opens with Emily and Marc doing what they do best: starting in the middle of real life and letting the conversation unfold from there. This episode sets the theme for the season — transition — and explores it from multiple angles: family life, grief, business shifts, creativity, aging, parenting, and the strange in-between spaces where you do not fully know what comes next. Emily introduces the idea of using a different word related to transition for each episode this season, and what follows is playful, thoughtful, and surprisingly grounded. They move from WordHippo rabbit trails to labor metaphors, from no-show certification cohorts to children's books, thresholds, poetry, and the honest recognition that this season of life is asking something new of both of them. The result is a warm beginning to the season: part orientation, part confession, part invitation. It is about change, yes, but even more about learning to inhabit change with a little more spaciousness, a little less forcing, and a willingness to be more real than safe.   🔑 Key Takeaways Season 4 is built around the theme of transition, with each episode exploring a different related word or facet of change. Transition is not just a single dramatic moment; it can be a process, a threshold, a departure, a grief passage, a creative opening, or a business reorientation. Emily reflects on transition through the lens of childbirth: the moment of "I can't do this anymore" can actually be the sign that something new is about to emerge. Marc shares how an unexpected business disappointment became an invitation to stop forcing outcomes and instead invest more deeply in existing relationships. Both of them name how much of this season of life includes overlapping transitions: children launching, aging parents, grief, work shifts, and changing identities. Space and rest are not empty; they can become the conditions for creativity, clarity, and a quieter kind of conviction. One of the hopes for this season is to show up less guarded and more honest — to play it more real than safe.   🗣 Quote Highlights "When I'm at the end of my strength that I know I have, then there's more that's within me to follow." – Emily "I am free-falling, but I'm totally held." – Marc "I don't need to apologize for the fact that I love children's books, and I think that they're really important art." – Emily "Playing it more real than more safe." – Emily "One of the things that I really enjoy about us is that we continue to grow, and change, and learn." – Marc   🧰 Tools & Mentions Zoho Projects WordHippo The idea of using one transition-related word per episode this season Birth and midwifery as a metaphor for transition Leadership certification and the transition from pushing for a new cohort to tending existing graduates Epcot's hang-gliding-style ride as an image of being held in uncertainty Chicago and "He Had It Coming" Thinking on Thresholds: The Aesthetics of Transitive Spaces The Eric Carle Picture Book Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts Children's books as serious art Poetry Foundation's poem-a-day podcast   👥 Who Should Listen People navigating a season of personal or professional transition Couples who work, build, and reflect on life together Parents adjusting to children launching into adulthood Adults caring for or thinking about aging parents Creative people trying to make room for what feels quietly true Anyone learning to stop forcing the next step and live more honestly in the in-between   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno – composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman – composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki – bass

    28 min

  2. 12/17/2025

    SFIO 312 - Side Quests and Story Arcs - Season 3 Review

    📋 Episode Summary In this warm and reflective season finale, Marc and Emily close out Season 3 by looking back at the conversations, surprises, and throughlines that emerged. From getting their first live Christmas tree in two decades to reflecting on the grief and growth that shaped their year, they offer a candid behind-the-scenes look at how the season unfolded. They talk about the intention behind creating a story arc, the joy of unexpected episodes, and how Concord Leadership Group is more than just a name—it's a shared vision of harmony and wholehearted leadership. Plus, they preview hopes (and side quests!) for Season 4 and 2026.   🔑 Key Takeaways Most podcasts don't make it past 3 or 20 episodes—finishing Season 3 is a milestone worth celebrating. Conversations around grief, transition, and rest shaped this season in unseen but powerful ways. Planned arcs are great—but spontaneous questions often spark the best episodes. "Concord" means harmony—and that resonance is core to their life and leadership work. 2026 will bring themes of legacy, hardwiring, coaching, and living into one's vision. Leaders don't need to bottle hope—they need space to be seen and grow at their own pace.   🗣 Quote Highlights "This season was not a color I could name—and not a sock yarn pattern either. But there were threads that came through." – Emily "We've never been answer holders. We say, 'Here's my understanding—tell me what you think.'" – Emily "Don't keep digging up the seed. It's part of the process." – Marc "Perfectly imperfect—that's us." – Emily "The shortest way is often the long way." – Marc "We get to be part of a vision. A wholehearted approach to life." – Emily "May there be light and color, and comfort and joy." – Emily   🧰 Tools & Mentions 📚 Legendborn & Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn 🌲 Live Christmas tree (first in 20+ years... with cats!) 🧶 Yarn metaphors: solid, variegated, sock yarn 💻 ConcordLeadershipGroup.com & Emily's blog post on "Concord" 📰 Jeff Gibbard's Infinite Impact Newsletter 🧭 Coaching conversations around values, legacy, and intentional leadership 🧠 Magnetized 2026 cohort—ongoing growth and goal setting   👥 Who Should Listen Longtime fans who want a wrap-up and peek behind the scenes Leaders navigating grief, life transitions, or legacy work Coaches, founders, and partners building a vision together Listeners who value curiosity, humility, and meaningful conversation Anyone looking for a reminder that they're not alone—and still figuring it out, too   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno – composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman – composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki – bass

    22 min

  3. 12/10/2025

    SFIO 311 - Rest, Recovery, and the Quiet Work of Healing

    📋 Episode Summary In this thoughtful conversation, Marc and Emily reflect on the deeper dimensions of rest—not just as sleep or downtime, but as intentional recovery, play, and emotional repair. They share how this past year of travel, loss, and transition reshaped their understanding of what it means to truly rest. From the importance of daily routines to the power of letting go of urgency, they invite listeners to reconsider their own rhythms and how grief, joy, and presence all play into real restoration. With humor and candor, they explore how play can be a portal to healing, how sabbath practices protect against burnout, and how sometimes the best productivity tool is a jigsaw puzzle.   🔑 Key Takeaways Rest isn't just sleep—it's emotional, physical, and psychological recovery. Play is restorative, especially when it's free from deadlines or expectations. Self-employment blurs work/rest boundaries—intentional sabbath rhythms help. Grief and loss require more recovery than we often acknowledge. Daily rituals (walks, puzzles, Switch games) offer a foundation for renewal. Patience and reserves are essential leadership postures for 2026 and beyond.   🗣 Quote Highlights "There's something about this season that says both ramp up and slow down at the same time." – Emily "Rest isn't just sleep. I had plenty of hours last night, but I had neither sleep nor rest." – Emily "My job is not to worry about revenue on Sabbath. Worry will have to wait." – Marc "The jigsaw puzzle lets me focus and still be part of the room." – Marc "Play pulled me into rest. I didn't realize how important that was until I missed it." – Emily "Reserves." – Marc (on his 2026 word for rest and renewal) "Patience—with a 'C,' not a 'T.'" – Emily   🧰 Tools & Mentions 🧩 Jigsaw puzzles as a focus-friendly play tool 🎮 Nintendo Switch & Skyrim as relaxing escapes 🎥 Movie theater as monthly immersive rest ritual 📖 "How to Judge Beer Like a Pro" by Marty Nachel 🕯️ Sabbath as a framework for rest: sundown-to-sundown tradition 💬 Reference to Lark Rise to Candleford: "This is my one weakness." 🧠 Talk of grief recovery and the weight of unprocessed emotions   👥 Who Should Listen Self-employed leaders and entrepreneurs who struggle to "turn off" Coaches and therapists navigating grief, transition, or burnout Anyone feeling the tension between productivity and presence Listeners wrestling with their own rest rhythms or end-of-year overwhelm People who want to restore play, stillness, and rituals of renewal to their life   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno – composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman – composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki – bass

    23 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    SFIO 310 - 90-Day Goal Planning - Celebrating Wins Without Falling Off a Cliff

    📋 Episode Summary In this spontaneous episode, Emily surprises Marc with a question about 90-day goal planning. What unfolds is a layered conversation about timelines, personal wiring, vision vs. focus, and the often overlooked practice of celebrating accomplishments.  Together, they explore how goal setting and pacing intersect with neurodivergence, business rhythms, and the real-life complexity of working toward big things while juggling many. They challenge productivity myths, question quarter-based planning, and offer a more compassionate, flexible model for building momentum—one that honors both milestones and maintenance.   🔑 Key Takeaways 90-day plans can create urgency and traction—but they're not one-size-fits-all. Parallel goals (maintenance + growth) help prevent a "goal cliff" when one big milestone is reached. Celebrating accomplishments is just as vital as achieving them. Knowing what comes after a goal helps sustain momentum. Not all goals are linear or tidy—life often requires juggling priorities, not sequential steps. Vision can be zoomed in or out, like turning the dial on a microscope.   🗣 Quote Highlights "Whenever I go to my favorite stationery store... I feel like I'm at the candy counter again." – Emily "If a goal doesn't have a 'what's next,' it's a cliff." – Emily "I can see it will eventually come together—I've had to work on what I'm doing today to make that happen." – Marc "There's something to the revisiting, to knowing what's next. A goal without a step to step onto is a drop-off." – Emily "Celebrating the accomplishment, not just resetting the horizon, matters too." – Marc "Some people stop when they're winning. But maybe there's momentum that could carry them further." – Marc "I think the 90-day takeaway is that we can set a goal and zoom in and out on it, like twisting a microscope lens." – Emily "What will doing this in the next two weeks allow you to do in the next two months?" – Marc   🧰 Tools & Mentions 📖 Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada 🧁 Penny candy, stationery pens, and Swedish Fish nostalgia 🧠 EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), Big Rocks, and Quarterly Goals 🛠️ CRM goals, coaching goals, and parallel goal structures 💬 "Begin with the end in mind" and "history of the future" frameworks 📊 Coaching tip: always help clients define what's next after the goal   👥 Who Should Listen Coaches and consultants navigating goal structures with clients Entrepreneurs wrestling with time horizons and traction People who struggle to revisit or reframe their goals Listeners looking for a more personalized alternative to rigid productivity frameworks Anyone learning to set big goals and celebrate the small wins   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno – composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman – composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki – bass

    21 min

  5. 11/26/2025

    SFIO 309 - Holidays, Pausing, and Flexing with the Seasons

    📋 Episode Summary In this episode of Still Figuring It Out, Marc and Emily Pitman reflect on how the holidays have shifted over the years—from childhood traditions to parenting young adults, and from being nonprofit staff with year-end intensity to running a coaching practice with more margin. They discuss how working from home affects their ability to truly pause, how their values show up in how they decorate and celebrate, and how they now approach holidays with more intentionality, spaciousness, and flexibility. It's a conversation about embracing change, honoring rest, and refocusing on what matters most as the seasons (and family structures) evolve. 🔑 Key Takeaways Holiday traditions evolve—and that's okay. Being self-employed means intentionally creating boundaries around rest. Decorating the home can be an act of meaning-making, not just aesthetics. The end-of-year season is an opportunity for recalibration and imagination. Quietness, reflection, and margin are gifts we can give ourselves. 🗣 Quote Highlights "I really want a cookie." – Emily "Being self-employed, you can always be working." – Marc "Setting space, setting home, fixing our attention and affection on each other in such a way that in the dark months, we are refilling ourselves." – Emily "There's less friction when you just sit back for a minute and look at the horizon." – Emily "Growing up, we had a lot of traditions. Some of them changed every year, which is kind of hilarious." – Marc 🧰 Tools & Mentions Gordon Lightfoot's Don Quixote album The "balcony moment" leadership metaphor (from Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky) Stephen Covey's Quadrant II framework South Carolina State Parks 👥 Who Should Listen Parents navigating changing holiday traditions Coaches and entrepreneurs working from home Nonprofit professionals trying to reclaim year-end joy Anyone feeling the pressure—or the permission—of the holiday season Listeners needing a gentle reminder to pause and recalibrate 🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno – composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman – composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki – bass

    19 min

  6. 11/19/2025

    SFIO 308 - When to Get Help (and When Not To)

    📋 Episode Summary Marc and Emily explore the nuanced and personal decision of when (and whether) to get help—whether that's in business, around the house, or in life. From their early years of hiring vacuuming help as new parents to their experiments with cleaning services, virtual assistants, and administrative support, they reflect on how each decision is shaped by values, seasons of life, and evolving clarity. They share candid lessons learned about identity, strengths, outsourcing too soon, and the surprising ways "help" can either support or strip away joy. 🔑 Key Takeaways Getting help is not always about saving time—it can also disrupt your rhythm or remove something meaningful. Business owners should learn core skills (like bookkeeping or CRM) before outsourcing—but not forever. Delegation is more effective when you define what "done" looks like and document the process. Knowing the why behind seeking help—whether it's to free up creativity, maintain peace, or ensure professional integrity—is critical. It's all seasonal: the right help at one time might be the wrong help later. Hiring help doesn't always mean hiring employees—contractor models offer flexibility and values alignment. Pricing your time properly helps reveal when it's "too expensive" to keep doing certain tasks yourself. 🗣 Quote Highlights "Cleaning the house settles my brain. I didn't realize how much I missed that." - Emily "It's not hard, it's just new." - Marc (quoting Nicole Cramer) "We treat our clients and prospects as partners—not annoyances." - Marc "Knowing your limits allows other people to flourish." - Emily 🧰 Tools & Mentions 📚 You're a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero 📚 Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin 🛠️ Loom (for documenting processes via screen recording) 💡 Tip: Use "definition of done" language from Agile/Scrum when delegating 🤖 CRM Tools: Infusionsoft / Keap → Zoho CRM with SpeakerFlow 🧾 Outsourcing bookkeeping, CRM, VAs 🧠 StrengthsFinder: Learner strength as both superpower and trap 👥 Who Should Listen Founders, freelancers, and business owners feeling overwhelmed but unsure what help to get Coaches and creatives struggling with what to delegate—and when Anyone who's ever hired help and felt like "it didn't actually help" Partners in business or life considering how to divide work and protect joy Listeners interested in building teams, documenting processes, or making values-aligned decisions about growth   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Mereno: composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman: composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki: bass

    25 min

  7. 11/12/2025

    SFIO 307 - Align and Accelerate: Fundraising with Heart with Chris Baiocchi

    📋 Episode Summary In this episode, Emily and Marc sit down with fundraising consultant and bow tie enthusiast Chris Baiocchi to explore how a career rooted in journalism led to a calling in philanthropy. Chris shares candidly about the leap from nonprofit staff to self-employed consultant, and what it's taken to redefine success, stability, and service in his work. They unpack the nuances of donor relationships, alignment, and the importance of momentum—and toss in a few great sci-fi references for good measure.   🔑 Key Takeaways Fundraising is about alignment—doing the right things in the right direction. Donor relationships take time, just like all meaningful relationships. There's no such thing as true job stability in nonprofits—only consistency. Consultants need to shift from "here's what I do" to "here's what we'll achieve together." Invite people into your mission like you're inviting them to a party they'll love.   🗣 Quote Highlights "What I thought was stability was really just consistency." – Chris "You can study swimming all you want, but at some point, you have to get in the water." – Chris "Fundraising is the fuel that drives your mission." – Chris "There's a threshold moment when organizations stop scraping by and start growing on purpose." – Emily "Let's stop talking about deliverables. Let's talk about transformation." – Marc   🧰 Tools & Mentions ResolutePhilanthropy.com The Compass Within by Robert Glazer Bartender Between Worlds (light fantasy novel) Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly Scrappy fundraising mindsets: "Golf, Grant, and Gala" "Threshold moments" in mythology and leadership LinkedIn: Chris Baiocchi (look for the bow tie!)   👥 Who Should Listen Nonprofit leaders considering the leap to consulting Fundraisers tired of the "spray and pray" approach Consultants learning to talk about outcomes Board members who want to help—but don't know how Anyone figuring out how to build a business with heart   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno: composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman: composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki: bass

    28 min

  8. 11/05/2025

    SFIO306 - Goal-setting: Pressure, Play, and Permission

    📋 Episode Summary Marc and Emily take on their favorite recurring theme: goal setting. But this time, they dive deeper into their wildly different upbringings, internal narratives, and current practices around goals—from poker chips and chore lists to Scrum boards and morning routines. They explore why goals can feel like punishment for some and purpose for others, and how they've each shifted their relationship to goals in ways that feel more personal, flexible, and free. This episode offers an honest, layered conversation that blends coaching insight with lived experience—and a few laughs about spilled coffee and Sam Adams.   🔑 Key Takeaways Not everyone relates to goals the same way—and that's okay. The language around goals (e.g. pressure vs. permission) deeply shapes how we engage with them. Habit tracking, data reflection, and redefining "done" can shift goals from punishment to process. Personal history plays a huge role in how we perceive achievement, success, and failure. Coaching is often about reframing—what looks like failure may actually be success in disguise.   🗣 Quote Highlights "I am a recovering goal skeptic." – Emily "Goal setting is the air I breathe." – Marc "All I could see was that a goal was going to tell me when I wasn't doing it." – Emily "So often, they actually did the thing… they just didn't see it." – Marc "Now I hate goals… with curiosity." – Emily   🧰 Tools & Mentions Centering Prayer by M. Basil Pennington Can I Walk With You? podcast Franklin Planner and Covey Weekly Planner Scrum language: "What does done look like?" Magnetize 2026 (Marc's goal-setting workbook) Data tools: Apple Watch, habit trackers, food logs Chore rewards, sticker charts, and Thomas the Tank Engine sets Diane Leonard – Scrum Master training The Concord Leadership Group's mission: helping leaders know they're not alone and be equipped   👥 Who Should Listen Leaders wrestling with "shoulds" around goals Coaches exploring how to help clients reframe success Anyone triggered by the word "goal" but still seeking growth Parents trying to teach motivation without shame People who love systems—and people who resist them   🎺 That Music! Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno: composing / mixing / mastering / guitar Caleb Pitman: composing / mixing / trumpet Zoe Czarnecki: bass

    24 min
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About

with Emily & Marc. After doing life, family, and business together for thirty years, we are still figuring it out. Both fiercely independent first borns, we are committed to continuing to grow and try new things in our entrepreneurial adventures.

Information

  • Creator
    Emily and Marc Pitman
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Still Figuring It Out