What The Shift

gia lacqua
  • 5.0 (15)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Podcast for Your 2am Thoughts What the Shift is a podcast for women navigating the thoughts, questions, and quiet realizations that show up when everything finally gets quiet. The ones about exhaustion you can’t quite explain. Success that no longer fits. Boundaries you know you need—but feel guilty setting. And the feeling that something is shifting, even if you don’t have words for it yet. No one taught us how to stop people-pleasing. Or overfunctioning. Or holding our feelings without apologizing for them. They just assumed we’d figure it out. This show creates space for the conversations women are having with themselves at 2am, but rarely out loud. Through honest, no-BS conversations, we interrupt the patterns behind quiet burnout, self-silencing, and the pressure to “handle it all.” This isn’t therapy. It’s not fixing. And it’s definitely not another productivity strategy. It’s context. Clarity. And the relief of realizing you’re not broken, you’re conditioned. Hosted by Gia Lacqua, What the Shift is where late-night thoughts turn into real conversations—and real shifts.

  1. 1D AGO

    You Didn’t Fail. You Outgrew It. What It Takes to Walk Away from ‘Success’ in Pursuit of Greater Impact

    What happens when the life you worked relentlessly to build… no longer fits? In this episode of What the Shift, Gia sits down with leadership advisor and executive coach Whitney Faires to unpack the rarely discussed reality high-achieving women face: realizing that “success” isn’t the same as fulfillment, and having the courage to pivot anyway. Together, they explore: Why so many accomplished women feel successful and unsettled The internal battle of choosing alignment over approval How lateral moves and strategic pivots can expand—not diminish—career impact The fear, guilt, and identity disruption that keep women stuck in roles they’ve outgrown What it actually takes to walk away from security without burning everything down Why the real risk isn’t leaving success—it’s staying too long This conversation is for the woman questioning at 2am: Is this really it? Not because she’s ungrateful, but because she’s evolving. Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, leadership transition, or personal reinvention, this episode offers grounded strategy, lived wisdom, and permission to redefine success on your own terms. 🎧 Perfect for listeners interested in: Women in leadership Career pivots & executive transitions Identity shifts and reinvention Burnout, alignment, and purpose-driven work High-achieving women navigating change Leadership development and personal strategy 📍 Recorded for a global audience of ambitious women navigating career and life transitions across the U.S. and beyond.

    32 min

  2. JAN 30

    The 3 Strategies Women Default To - And Why They’re Quietly Costing You Everything

    If you’ve been lying awake at 2 am questioning why the strategies that once made you successful now feel exhausting, this episode is for you. In this follow-up conversation on What the Shift, host Gia and Shannon McGorry break down the three outdated strategies high-achieving women default to, and why they no longer fit the woman you are today. These strategies once helped you succeed. Now, they’re quietly draining your energy, clarity, and sense of self. In this episode, we unpack: Why “being reliable” turns capable women into bottlenecks How the “prove yourself” strategy ties identity to output, and leads to burnout The hidden cost of “keeping the peace” and losing your voice in the process What "strategy" actually means How to recognize when your current strategy has expired, and what to do next This conversation is especially for high-achieving women, leaders, working moms, and purpose-driven professionals who feel successful on paper, but misaligned in real life. If your life feels heavier than it should, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong. It’s because you’ve outgrown the strategy that once worked. Does your strategy still fit the woman you are today? Find out at yourstrategyreset.com

    9 min

  3. JAN 23

    When Your Strategy Worked - And Why It’s Exhausting You Now

    There’s a specific kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from doing too much. It comes from living inside a strategy that used to work, but no longer fits the life you’re actually living. In this episode of What the Shift, Gia is joined by returning guest, Founder of Love, Strength & Grace, Shannon McGorry, to name the truth high-performing women quietly carry. 👉 You’re not failing. 👉 You’re not broken. 👉 Your strategy is just outdated. Together, they unpack: Why capable, successful women feel like they’re “doing everything right” and still falling apart inside How over-functioning becomes a survival strategy, and when it quietly turns against you The difference between treating symptoms (boundaries, self-care, time off) and actually updating the way you run your life Why motivation disappears, resentment builds, and exhaustion sets in when your strategy no longer matches your current chapter The three pillars every modern strategy must be built on: clarity, confidence, and aligned action This is a conversation for the woman who doesn’t want a new life, she just wants this one to fit. If you’ve been waking up at 2am thinking “Why does this feel so heavy?” This episode is your answer. Learn more at yourstrategyreset.com

    13 min

  4. JAN 15

    Nothing Is Wrong With You: The Truth About Perimenopause No One Told Women

    If you’ve been asking yourself “Why do I feel this way?”—this episode is for you. Brain fog. Anxiety. Irritability. Weight gain. Exhaustion. A quiet sense that you don’t recognize yourself anymore. High-achieving women are being told it’s stress, burnout, motherhood, aging, or that they just need to try harder. But for many women in midlife, that explanation is flat-out wrong. In this episode of What the Shift, I sit down with Dana Culp, founder of Thrive Midlife Medicine, to expose the massive blind spot in women’s healthcare—and the cost of ignoring it. We talk about: Why so many women feel “off” long before menopause—and why it’s missed How perimenopause is misdiagnosed as anxiety, burnout, or personal failure The real reason “pushing through” stops working in midlife What the science actually says about hormones and long-term health Why nothing is wrong with you—and what your body is asking for instead This isn’t about fixing women. It’s about telling the truth. Because when women understand what’s happening in their bodies, they stop blaming themselves—and start making powerful, informed choices about what comes next. If this episode lands, share it with the woman who’s Googling her symptoms at 2am and wondering if she’s broken. She’s not. She was never told the whole story. Learn more about Dana and at take the quiz at thrivemidlifemed.com/quiz

    30 min

  5. JAN 9

    Balance Is the Lie That Keeps High-Achieving Women Functioning in Lives That No Longer Fit

    There was a time when balance made sense. When life was simpler. Fewer roles. Fewer demands. Less constant access. But that’s not the world high-achieving women are living in now. In today’s reality, balance doesn’t create freedom—it creates containment. In this episode, I unpack why balance may have worked once, but quietly fails women whose lives, responsibilities, and expectations have outgrown the strategy meant to manage them. You’ll hear: Why balance becomes a trap How women are trained to overfunction—and systems learn to rely on it Why “equal distribution of weight” is laughable in real life And what it takes to redesign a life around who you are now, not who you had to be This isn’t about doing less. It’s about choosing differently. If you’ve been managing a life that looks successful but feels heavy, this episode will put words to what you’ve been living—and point to a more honest way forward. I’m also inviting a small group of women to apply for the PowerShift Launch Team to help carry this message into the world. Balance had its moment. This is what comes next. Visit www.gialacqua.com for more information.

    10 min

  6. JAN 2

    When Life Forces the Shift: Cancer, Control, and Choosing Yourself with Cara Lockwood

    What happens when life rips the illusion of control straight out of your hands? In this episode of What the Shift, Gia sits down with Cara Lockwood — USA Today bestselling novelist turned cancer truth-teller—for a raw, honest conversation about what breast cancer really takes… and what it gives back. Diagnosed with stage 1 HER2-positive breast cancer during a routine mammogram, Cara was thrust into a reality she never chose: fear, uncertainty, loss of control—and a complete identity reckoning. What followed wasn’t a polished “warrior” narrative, but a messy, human shift from terror to agency. Together, Gia and Cara unpack: Why toxic positivity fails women facing real fear How humor can be defiance—not denial The identity shift that happens when the “doer” becomes the one who needs care What control actually looks like when everything feels out of control Why choosing yourself isn’t selfish—it’s survival Cara also shares why she wrote There’s No Good Book for This (But I Wrote One Anyway)—the irreverent, laugh-out-loud guide she wished she had—and how laughter became one of her most powerful tools for reclaiming agency. This episode isn’t about “staying positive.” It’s about telling the truth. Choosing yourself. And learning—at the deepest level—that you can do hard things. 🎧 Listen if you’re navigating a life-altering diagnosis, a forced pivot, or a moment where everything you thought you controlled… disappeared. Learn more about Cara: caratheauthor.com

    32 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    Why High-Achieving Women Don’t Know What They Want (And How to Find Out)

    High-achieving women are often praised for being capable, accomplished, and put-together—yet privately struggle with a haunting question: Why don’t I know what I want anymore? In this powerful episode of What the Shift, Gia sits down with coach, podcaster, and creative guide Monica Rodgers to unpack the invisible conditioning that disconnects women from their desires, needs, and inner knowing. Together, they explore: Why high-achieving women lose touch with what they want—and why it’s not a personal failure The “Pretty, Pleasing, Polite” trap and the double bind women are raised inside How perfectionism and overfunctioning become survival strategies The Dark Night of the Soul as an initiation—not a breakdown Why women dissociate from their bodies—and how embodiment restores clarity How your personal story becomes your greatest source of power What it actually takes to trust yourself again This conversation is for women who have checked all the boxes, climbed the ladder, and still feel disconnected, depleted, or quietly unfulfilled—and are ready to stop performing success and start living in alignment. If you’ve ever thought “Is this it?”—this episode is your invitation to listen more closely. Learn more about Monica: jointherevelation.com

    38 min

  8. 12/12/2025

    Too Much? Not Enough? The Identity Crisis High Performers Don’t Talk About

    If you’ve ever felt too much in one room and not enough in another, this episode is going to hit you right in the truth. In this powerful conversation, Gia sits down with leadership coach, keynote speaker, and author Cassy Williamson to unpack the invisible identity crisis so many high-achieving women are silently navigating.nWe dig into the real reasons women overperform, overgive, overachieve—and still feel like they’re falling short. Together, we explore: Why high performers confuse excellence with earning their worth The childhood messages that shape our inner critic How burnout becomes a badge, masking a deeper identity disconnect Why women shrink in rooms that can’t hold their full energy How to know when you’ve outgrown the life you built What it takes to stop performing success and start actually living it The shift from pleasing → proving → becoming Cassy shares her raw personal story, including the moment she was told to “tone it down” in a corporate setting—and how that became the catalyst for her book, Unapologetic, and her life’s work of helping women lead with truth instead of approval. If you’re craving alignment, reinvention, and the courage to be fully yourself without apology…this conversation is your permission slip and your strategy. WATCH/LISTEN IF YOU’RE ASKING: “Why am I still not happy even though I’m successful?” “Why do I keep shrinking to make others comfortable?” “How do I stop doubting myself?” “How do I trust the part of me that wants more?” This is the episode that helps you stop performing for your worth—and start becoming who you were always meant to be. Learn more about Cassy: cassywilliamson.com

    31 min
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About

The Podcast for Your 2am Thoughts What the Shift is a podcast for women navigating the thoughts, questions, and quiet realizations that show up when everything finally gets quiet. The ones about exhaustion you can’t quite explain. Success that no longer fits. Boundaries you know you need—but feel guilty setting. And the feeling that something is shifting, even if you don’t have words for it yet. No one taught us how to stop people-pleasing. Or overfunctioning. Or holding our feelings without apologizing for them. They just assumed we’d figure it out. This show creates space for the conversations women are having with themselves at 2am, but rarely out loud. Through honest, no-BS conversations, we interrupt the patterns behind quiet burnout, self-silencing, and the pressure to “handle it all.” This isn’t therapy. It’s not fixing. And it’s definitely not another productivity strategy. It’s context. Clarity. And the relief of realizing you’re not broken, you’re conditioned. Hosted by Gia Lacqua, What the Shift is where late-night thoughts turn into real conversations—and real shifts.

Information

  • Creator
    gia lacqua
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    What The Shift