Clarity On Fire

In case you missed it, last week we announced that we're going on podcast hiatus (again)—because Kristen is having a baby!   If you're new to Clarity on Fire – or are a longtime fan but want to introduce new people to us – this extended break will give you a great opportunity to catch up on all 430+ episodes. But we've got a LOT of content and you might be overwhelmed! So, we're making it easy for you (or your friends) to know where to dive in.   Here's where we recommend starting if you're new to Clarity on Fire:   Before you do anything else, take (or re-take!) the Passion Profile Quiz. It's designed to help you pinpoint the intersection between your career and passions in a way that LITERALLY NO ONE ELSE ever talks about.   Then, listen to the podcast episodes we list below (in order, for the biggest impact)!   If you're new, welcome to the Clarity-verse and enjoy diving in! And if you're a forever fan, we'd love it if you forwarded this to someone who needs a little help getting unstuck and fi

Soooo, it's happening again! We're taking another hiatus from the podcast… because one of us is having a baby.

A few months ago, we released an episode about AI and coaching that sparked a LOT of conversation. And many of you admitted (a little sheepishly) that you use AI for emotional processing, brainstorming, or decision-making.   So… we're continuing the conversation.   This time, Kristen sits down with returning guest (and Kristen's client!) R.A. Williams — a London-based coach who has spent the last year building an AI-powered thinking tool based on her own coaching framework.   After our previous episode exposed the dangers of using AI like a therapist, this conversation explores something different:   What if AI could actually make you more self-reliant instead of less?   Let's be honest… AI isn't going away. And if we're going to live in a world where 30–40% of people are already using AI for emotional support, we all need to figure out a healthy way to do that without losing ourselves in the process.   Listen in as we dive into:   Why most AI tools are designed to be the "hero," and why that

Back in 2016—a full decade ago, somehow—I wrote a blog called Confession: I have no desire to be a #girlboss.   I'm laughing and cringing at the hashtag in the title, but that's what it was like back then! Everything was made better by a hashtag.   And there was a lot to be embarrassed of beyond hashtags, too. In hindsight, the whole girlboss era was pretty cringey. But at the time, it was the height of cool! Which is why I had to "confess" that I didn't want to actually be a girlboss.   So, join us for a brand-new Side Chat where we look back on the 2010s and break down how the entire concept of careers and work has evolved. We get into... How hustling and "crushing it" was glamorized 10-15 years ago A day in the life of a typical girlboss of that era The shift from romanticizing work to romanticizing life, and why it's healthier Our predictions for how careers will continue to evolve over the next decade   Whether or not you were plugged in to the girlboss era, there's so much good conversation in

Calling all fellow bookworms, library nerds, and general lovers of literature — it's time for another book club episode of the podcast!   Whenever there are five Fridays in a month, we devote the extra Friday to a book that we can't get enough of.   And wow, we REALLY cannot get enough — and can't stop thinking about — All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert.   This book is both incredibly popular and intriguingly divisive. People either love it or hate it, which made us all too curious to dive in.   All the Way to the River is a memoir about what happens when two addicts confess their love for each other after one of them has been given a terminal cancer diagnosis. If that sounds heavy — it is! But it's also a fascinating, funny, shocking, WILD ride through all of the highs and lows of loving and losing someone (and also losing yourself, in them).   So, buckle up for a super interesting, fun episode of the podcast! You'll hear us get into... Why this book is so controversial, and our take

Need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up?   Then today's your day, because we're with another Message from the Universe episode. ✨

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from three listeners, two of which are in what you might call a complete doozy of a situation:   Ledger Impostress, who was desperate for a job and applied for a bookkeeping position, thinking she'd never get it. She may have (significantly) exaggerated her experience in the interview, too. And now… oops, she has a SENIOR bookkeeping job, has no idea what she's doing, and is frantically studying tax law at night, trying not to get fired. What's a girl to do when she's accidentally catfished her employer?! Kallie, who's been unemployed for a year and is reaching the point where it's critical she find another job soon. She knows she needs to be reasonable about her job search criteria, but should she lower her standards even more to account for

Happy holidays from Krachel!   In the spirit of the season—and to bring you a little extra joy and levity—we're gifting you this very cringeworthy (for us) and hilarious (for you) episode.   Listen in as, like the Ghosts of Careers Past, we take you back in time and share some of the top moments we gave ourselves "the ick" in our careers. Stories where one of us...   Accidentally created scandal as a substitute teacher Was thrown a themed going-away party after lying about why she was leaving her job Got fired from a part-time job for a very dumb reason Joined an MLM and had the most awkward basement parties   Come laugh with us! And then share you own cringeworthy tales.   NEED A LITTLE EXTRA SUPPORT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?   When a new year is just around the corner, a lot of stress, overwhelm, and existential angst tends to rise to the surface.   If you're finding that happening — or trying to prevent it from happening! — then might we suggest a holiday treat for yourself, in the form of a

Want to know one of the fears we've heard repeated the most in our 13+ years as coaches?   "It's too late for me to make a change."   Sometimes that sounds like, "I'm too old," or, "I'm afraid I've wasted my life," or, "I've invested too much to start over. I have to keep going even though I'm miserable."   One of our favorite parts about coaching is getting to prove those fears wrong, over and over again. Which is why we had to ask Rachel's client Dana to be our latest "normal person" interviewee.   Dana is the living embodiment of "it's never too late," which might sound corny if it wasn't completely true.   Listen in as Rachel and Dana get into... Why Dana resisted her desire to be a true Thriver for a long time, and how embracing that side of herself led to a life of ease and flow. The epic journey from being a single woman in her mid-40s desiring marriage and family to not only getting married, but becoming a first-time mom at 47! How Dana used her success in one major area of life—finding a

Need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up?   Then today's your day, because we're with another Message from the Universe episode. ✨

A curious pattern emerged within the last year: People — usually friends or coaching clients — keep coming to us, almost sheepishly, and "confessing" that they sometimes use AI (particularly ChatGPT) for emotional support. The thing is … we've used it for emotional support, too! AI has a lot of qualities that make it less messy than your average human. It's a great listener, it's endlessly patient, and it has access to an infinite amount of knowledge and potential solutions. Plus, using it is (sadly) a LOT cheaper than what you'd pay your average therapist or coach. But that certainly doesn't make it better than a human mental health professional. As helpful as AI might be, it can be equally as harmful—not all of the friends and clients who came to us ended up having a positive experience with their "robot therapist." So, we asked two of our coach friends (and former podcast guests!), Amanda Johnson and Chelsea Jewel, to join us for a deep-dive exploration into the murky waters where AI mixes with menta

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel (our first since June of 2024!), our advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from two listeners who are both questioning what went "wrong" in their lives, how to recover from deep disappointment, and how the future can be better: Bottledottle, a medical school student who doesn't know if she wants to be a doctor anymore, and who is deeply afraid that she wasted her youth chasing values that don't matter to her now. How can she recover from the regret and sadness of spending years building a life that she might not want? Jodi, who lost not only her business, but all of the friends she believed she could trust, and ended up running away to another country with her husband. Now they have a barely livable house in a place that doesn't feel right, and she's had hundreds of job applications re

“If I didn’t love you, I would hate you.”   That’s a direct quote that escaped my mouth while recording this episode with my former client, Jamie Knight.

Need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up?   Then today’s your day, because we’re back with the first Message from the Universe episode in over a year! ✨

Heyyyy! Did you miss us? Or maybe completely forgot we existed and went on with your life? (Valid, if so).   Perhaps you felt a small void in your life where conversations between two friends about all things life and career used to be, that you haven’t been able to fill in the last 15 months. If that’s the case, we have GREAT news for you:   The Clarity on Fire Podcast is back!   If you’ll recall, we went on hiatus back in June of 2024, mostly because life had taken some wild twists and turns. There’s a LOT to share about what’s happened since then. So, listen is as we get into…   Rachel’s pregnancy, birth, postpartum experiences & all of her very raw takes on what balancing motherhood with the rest of life has been like Kristen’s journey with fertility and a new form of therapy she’s dived into head first Our plans for the next few months when it comes to new podcast episodes   EVEN BETTER NEWS — WE’RE TAKING ON COACHING CLIENTS!   Coaching takes you from doubt, confusion, and burnout to confid

In case you missed it, last week we announced that we’re taking a podcasting hiatus – for a few reasons, but mostly because Rachel is having a baby later this year!   If you’re new-ish to Clarity on Fire – or have been around for a while but want to introduce new people to us – that gives you an excellent opportunity to catch up on our over-400 episodes.   Buuuut we also know that’s a LOT of content and you might be overwhelmed!

Yes, you read that subject line right — we’re taking another hiatus from the podcast … because one of us is having a baby!

In the last few years my client Susanne went from having a very normal, run-of-the-mill career to relocating to Italy, renovating a beautiful property, and opening a retreat space (she calls it a “thinker’s residence”) for creative people who long for peace and quiet to work on their most important projects.   Getting to help Susanne take this dream from vision to reality has been a highlight of my last few years as a coach, and I’m so excited to finally get to share her story with all of you!   Listen in to this month’s brand-new interview with a normal person, where Susanne and I get into…   How she came up with such a big vision for her life, and how long she marinated on it before taking it seriously Why she blocked herself from acting on what she wanted for many years How she released some of her biggest, most debilitating limitations, and took huge risks (that clearly ended up paying off) The many ups and downs of turning her vision into a reality And what it’s like now, running a property in Italy for

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.   This month we answered questions from two listeners, who both happen to be teachers (but their issues are relevant to all of us)!   Worry Worm, whose confidence takes a hit whenever her students don’t meet their expected results. Is she bad at what she does, or are the kids slacking off?   Tired Thriver, an elementary school teacher in her late 20’s who likes a lot of the perks of teaching (predictable schedule, steady pay, job security, great benefits, and summers off to name a few), but who feels mentally and emotionally drained at the end of the work day. She doesn’t necessarily want to have to change careers, but how possible is it for a Thriver to make a demanding job like this work?   Come leave a comment after you’ve listened to share how our advice for these l

It’s the fifth Friday of the month, which means this should be a “bonus book club” episode––it isn’t, but it’s also not NOT a book club episode, either.