Why Self-Leadership Starts with Knowing and Living Your Values with Dr. Robyne
Becoming Unshakable With Heather R. Younger
Release Date: 01/20/2026
Becoming Unshakable With Heather R. Younger
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to remain steady when life delivers moments that feel impossible to carry? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Rabbi Daniel Cohen for a deeply personal and reflective conversation about faith, gratitude, and the inner strength that helps people move through life’s most difficult seasons. Rabbi Cohen shares the story that shaped his perspective early in life, losing his mother at a young age, and how that experience forced him to confront grief, purpose, and the deeper meaning behind the moments that shake us the most. Rather than...
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What does self-care really look like when you are scaling fast, raising four kids, and carrying the weight of other people’s livelihoods on your shoulders? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Michele Henry, founder and CEO of Face Foundry, to talk about what it actually takes to build a high-growth franchise brand without losing yourself in the process. Michele launched her flagship location in 2019 with a clear vision to franchise from day one. Within a year, the world shut down. She furloughed her entire team, slept in her warehouse during COVID, and faced the kind of...
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What if the very drive that helped you succeed is the same force quietly pushing you toward exhaustion? In this conversation with Dr. Selina Neri, I explore a tension so many high performers live with but rarely name. The desire to hold high standards, to lead well, to deliver excellence, and at the same time feel deeply depleted. Selina brings both research and lived experience to this topic, helping us understand that burnout is not a sign of weakness. It is often the byproduct of sustained overextension without intentional recovery. We talk about what recovery really means. It is not about...
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What if the very thing you are trying hardest to avoid is the doorway to becoming unshakable? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor and the thinker behind psychological safety, to reframe how we see failure. Amy has spent decades studying leadership, teamwork, and learning organizations, and in this conversation, she brings her newest body of work into sharp focus. Together, we unpack the three distinct types of failure and why only one of them truly moves us forward. Amy challenges the simplistic messages we often hear,...
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What does it really mean to become unshakable when your career, your family life, and the world around you all feel uncertain at the same time? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sat down with Christine Ann Miller for a conversation that stayed with me long after we stopped recording. From the very first question, Christine grounds resilience in something more profound than grit or endurance. She shares how becoming unshakable is tied to purpose, faith, and the courage to stay anchored to who you are, even when the path forward is unclear. Christine takes us through her journey as a...
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What does it really take to stay grounded, human, and compassionate as a business grows faster than you ever imagined? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Nicolas Breedlove for a deeply honest conversation about leadership, growth, and the internal work required to scale without losing yourself or the people around you. Nicolas shares what becoming unshakable has meant for him over the years, including the hard-earned discipline of emotional self-control and the realization that true leadership starts with self-leadership. We talk openly about his early mistakes, moments of...
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What does it really mean to become unshakable when life starts testing you before you can even put words to what you are feeling? In this deeply personal episode of the Becoming Unshakable podcast, I sit down with my daughter, Gabriela, for a conversation I have long wanted to record. As her mom, I have watched her journey from the very beginning, through medical uncertainty, learning challenges, therapy rooms, and moments that could have easily shaken her sense of self. As a listener, you get to hear Gabriela tell her story in her own words, with honesty, reflection, and a quiet strength that...
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What happens when two podcasters decide to slow down, join forces, and have the kind of conversation many leaders are quietly craving right now? This week, I am doing something I have never done before. I am collaborating with my friend and colleague, Dr. Robyne Hanley Dafoe, on a shared episode that will be available on both our podcasts. This is not an interview swap or a highlight reel. It is a real, unscripted conversation between two women who care deeply about leadership, resilience, and what it actually takes to stay grounded in a world that feels loud, divided, and emotionally...
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What does it actually take to spot the leadership gaps that matter, especially when life and work keep speeding up? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Erik Dodier, an entrepreneur who describes his career as a “30-year overnight success.” Erik takes us from his early love of business and entrepreneurship to building a company through decades of pivots, pressure, growth, and change. What stood out to me right away was his willingness to discuss the pause that comes after the grind, that moment when you stop running and finally have enough space to reflect on who you...
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What happens when the identity I hold most proudly becomes the very thing that limits connection? In this solo episode of Becoming Unshakable, I share a moment of reflection that surfaced for me during a retreat I attended in Canada at the end of the year. I went there to speak, but also to listen, learn, and be present as a participant. In the middle of all the meaningful conversations and connections, one simple question from another attendee stopped me cold and stayed with me long after the retreat ended. I have always been comfortable giving, serving, and pouring into others. That part of...
info_outlineWhat happens when two podcasters decide to slow down, join forces, and have the kind of conversation many leaders are quietly craving right now?
This week, I am doing something I have never done before. I am collaborating with my friend and colleague, Dr. Robyne Hanley Dafoe, on a shared episode that will be available on both our podcasts. This is not an interview swap or a highlight reel. It is a real, unscripted conversation between two women who care deeply about leadership, resilience, and what it actually takes to stay grounded in a world that feels loud, divided, and emotionally exhausted.
We talk openly about why self-leadership feels harder right now, why so many capable people feel stuck waiting for permission, and why caring leadership cannot stop at the edges of our organizations. Together, Dr. Robyne and I explore the connection between values, self-worth, perfectionism, and hope. We explain why hope is often dismissed as unrealistic, even though science suggests it may be one of the most practical tools we have. We also reflect on what it means to lead when you are tired, under-resourced, and still figuring things out yourself.
You will hear us wrestle with real questions leaders face every day. How do you stay steady without pretending you are fine? How do you care for others without abandoning yourself? How do you build resilience without turning it into another performance metric? And how do hope, compassion, and self-leadership actually show up in daily choices rather than big statements?
This conversation is personal, reflective, and deeply human. It is for leaders, caregivers, parents, and professionals who are trying to do good work without burning out. If you have ever felt pulled between responsibility and self-preservation, or wondered how to stay unshakable without becoming hardened, this episode is for you.
I look forward to your listening, reflection, and sharing what resonates most with you.