094: A Reframe on Burnout. Your Invitation to Change | Cara E. Houser
Release Date: 12/11/2024
Reframe to Create
In Episode 123, we talked about Reveal—the courage it takes to finally look at what’s already shaping your behavior, your decisions, and your results. Today, we move into Part 2: Reclaim. Because once you can see your narrative identity, you don’t get to stay neutral anymore. Not choosing… is still choosing. And that choice always comes with consequences. In this episode, I explore why reclaiming your narrative identity is fundamentally about making intentional choices—especially as teams and organizations that want to create something new, meaningful, and lasting. In this...
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It’s time for us to leave our ostrich ways behind. In Part 1 of this three-part series, I’m calling us in to stop avoiding the things we don’t want to see. Because what we refuse to look at doesn’t disappear. It quietly works against us—undermining our creativity, momentum, strategy, and our ability to create real impact together. This episode is about revealing your narrative identity: making the invisible visible, giving voice to what’s been assumed, and naming what’s already shaping (and sabotaging) what you’re trying to build. In this episode, I explore: Why “not...
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It all starts with and goes back to who you are. Not just who you are as an individual, but who you are together. Your team. Your organization. Your movement. If you’re stuck. If progress feels slow or painfully circular. If you’re working hard but not moving forward sustainably… Chances are, it’s not a strategy problem. It’s not a talent problem. It’s not a goal-setting or execution problem. It’s an identity problem. In this episode, I unpack why so many teams end up in what I call Spinsville—endless conversations, competing perspectives, and lots of motion with very...
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I’m done, y’all. It’s time to drop the idea that you have imposter syndrome for good. In this episode, I’m not helping you “fix” imposter syndrome. I’m helping you challenge and discard the entire idea. You’ll learn where this concept came from, why it doesn’t serve you, and how to understand your feelings without pathologizing your humanity. We explore: The real definition of “imposter” (and why it’s NOT you) How your environment might actually be the culprit The history behind the “imposter syndrome” label Inner Blocks (GAILs) and how to reframe your...
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If you’ve ever walked into a team meeting or strategy session and felt like the stories being shared weren’t shifting anything…this episode is your reframe. Today I’m talking with David Hutchens, storyteller, author, organizational consultant, and creator of some of my absolute favorite tools for leaders who want to use narrative to build alignment in their teams. David has worked with global organizations to help them move from merely telling stories to making meaning together, and that’s exactly what we dive into today. David breaks down why: Storytelling is...
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Are you ready to unlock the secret of storytelling and data? If you are, I’m ready to share it with you so you can finally learn how to use data to tell a powerful story and how to tell a story that leverages the right data. In this episode, I’m sharing with you the two reframes that have absolutely transformed the way I think about data and storytelling. These are reframes I now share with leaders because they change everything about how you show up in front of a room. You’ll hear why you are the storyteller (yes, you, not your slides, not your deck, not your one-pager), and...
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Picture it. You’re about to dive into yet another strategy planning session with your team. You’ve got the flip charts, the markers, the frameworks, the best intentions… and a sinking feeling that this is going to end up just like last time—disconnected, circular, and unclear. Somewhere along the way, you’ve probably heard that storytelling can help. But not so fast. My guest today, Brett Davidson, is here to turn that idea on its head. He’s the founder and principal of Wingseed, where he helps foundations and nonprofits around the world use narrative, storytelling, listening,...
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Have you ever been part of creating something beautiful with others? Maybe it was a class project, a community event, or a team effort at work where everyone came together to bring one vision to life. When that happens, when everyone is aligned and moving toward a shared purpose, something extraordinary is created. But when that shared story breaks down, so does the ability to create together. Misaligned stories create competing identities and chaos, even among the most talented people. That’s why it’s time for a new conversation. For over four years, Reframe to Create has been about...
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I bet I know one of the biggest mistakes you’re making right now. And I’m not even trying to shame you. You mean well. But it’s a mistake nonetheless. You’re creating — on your job, in your side hustle, or in your collaborations — but not even thinking about owning what you create. Most people don’t. We’ve been trained to think that being a “team player” means being invisible. That being helpful means erasing ourselves. That collaboration means disappearing. But that’s not teamwork. That’s self-erasure. In this episode, I’m reframing ownership — not as...
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What if your business, team, or even your personal work rhythm could actually grow because of friction — not in spite of it? That’s the question we dig into with today’s guest, Travis Lee Howard, as he shares his powerful framework called the Mindful Business Paradigm (MVP). This isn’t just another business model — it’s a way to diagnose where things are off, whether you're a leader, creator, or changemaker trying to do mission-minded work that actually matters. Travis breaks down the four-part paradigm — Self → Customer → Machine → Team — and helps us...
info_outlineAre you feeling burned out?
It’s a common feeling and seems to ramp up, especially towards the end of the year.
While this feeling is common these days it’s not inevitable.
There’s a way and a need to push back on this way of being in favor of something that leaves you lit up instead of drained.
My guest Cara E. Houser will show us exactly how to do this.
Her first order of business is to reframe our understanding of burnout because we’re looking at it all wrong.
In this episode, we discuss:
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The invitation that burnout offers you and how you can accept it
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Why self-care is not "massages and bubble baths" and what you must do instead
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Tips on how you can start your burnout recovery today
If you’ve been feeling burnout I know this conversation will be just the help you need to recover and reclaim not just your life but your creating life!
Check out Cara’s book and follow her on LinkedIn to get even more goodness.
About my guest: Cara Houser a.k.a. The Burnout Lady is a Life-Work Integration Coach. She makes burnout recovery accessible and fun and is also the author of the award-winning book: Burned Out to Lit Up: Ditch the Grind and Reclaim Your Life.
Amazon Book: https://amzn.to/4a4OEle
Website: https://www.carahouser.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caraehouser/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caraehouser/
About: The Reframe to Create podcast is hosted by Joy Spencer, an Executive Leadership and Storytelling Coach, Speaker, and Organizational Development Consultant working with professionals and leaders at all levels within organizations. Joy leverages over 17 years of experience she gained while working to champion change in social justice movements, including those related to global access to essential medicines and consumer advocacy for online privacy. This work required a dogged commitment to not merely challenging the status quo, but to reimagining and working towards creating an ideal future. It is this commitment to creating that has shaped Joy’s coaching philosophy and approach today. Using her signature C.R.E.A.T.E. framework, Joy guides her clients through a process to become incomparable in work so they can get paid to be themselves.
Follow Joy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer/