Living by the Mantras: Small Phrases, Big Shifts with author Colleen Souza (S10:Epi 277)
Release Date: 03/01/2026
From Classroom to Entrepreneurship: Finding Your Voice and Owning Your Space with Claire Olinik, founder of Good Harbor Works (S11: Epi 308)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
What happens when an unexpected career change reveals strengths you never knew you had? In this episode Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Claire Olinik, founder of Good Harbor Works, about her journey from music teacher to entrepreneur. What started as a temporary role in her husband's web business turned into a decade-long career, where Claire discovered that her teaching and communication skills were invaluable in helping clients navigate the often-confusing world of technology and marketing. Claire shares insights on: · Career...
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AI and the Human Touch: Why Frontline Employees Are Your Greatest Competitive Advantage with AI Strategist Jane Dalesandro (S11: Epi 307)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode of Sweet but Fearless, Mary Sullivan, co-founder, sits down with Jane Dalesandro, AI Operations Strategist, to explore the critical role frontline employees play in shaping the customer experience and building a company's reputation. As businesses rush to embrace AI and automation, Jane challenges leaders to think carefully about what they're automating. The goal shouldn't be to replace the human connection that makes a customer experience memorable. Instead, automate what happens behind the desk, not the customer experience itself. When used thoughtfully, AI can reduce...
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How to Use AI to Strengthen Your Leadership and Decision-Making with Sharitta Marshall, founder of Visionary Development Consulting (S11: Epi 306)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Sharitta Marshall, founder of Visionary Development Consulting, about how leaders can use AI as a tool to strengthen, not replace, their skills, judgment, and experience. AI may be powerful, but it isn’t smarter than you. The real opportunity comes from understanding how AI is changing your industry, influencing your everyday life, and where it can best support your decision-making process. Sharitta encourages leaders to think of AI like a vehicle: it can help move you forward, but where you end up depends on where you’re going,...
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Self-Care Without the Guilt with Self-Care Coach, Christina Russell (S11: Epi 305)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
What if creating a more fulfilling life didn’t mean changing everything at once? Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with self-care coach and entrepreneur Christina Russell about what it really means to put yourself back on your own priority list. Christina shares why putting yourself first isn’t about ignoring your work, family, or responsibilities. It’s about making sure you don’t disappear in the middle of all of them. Mary and Christina talk about finding what brings you joy and creating space for it in your everyday life. If you’re feeling stuck or burned out,...
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Finding Your Voice and Creating the Life You Really Want with Jennifer White, Founder of Clearing for Launch Coaching (S11: Epi 304)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
What happens when you quiet the outside noise long enough to hear what you really want? Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Jennifer White, founder of Clearing for Launch Coaching, about making life decisions with greater clarity and confidence. As a coach, Jennifer helps her clients reconnect with their own voice, uncover the wants and passions they may have pushed aside, and take action toward the life they’ve been putting off for years. She shares how to move through the hurdles, fears, and uncertainty that can keep us stuck and why the answers we’re searching...
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Why Aren’t You Living the Life You Want with Lina Viner, Dreamer, Believer, Achiever. (S11: Epi 303)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode of Sweet but Fearless, Mary Sullivan talks with Lina Viner, founder and creator of The Rewire Method, about mindset, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to create lasting change. Lina shares why our belief systems can either move us forward or keep us stuck and how changing the way we think can change the way we live. Through , she works with individuals to identify behaviors and thought patterns that no longer serve them, building new routines and creating mindset shifts designed to last. Lina also talks about the mindset entrepreneurs need to succeed: being comfortable...
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Finding Purpose Through Faith and Resilience: A Conversation with Mia Godfrey (S11: Epi 301)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with life coach and Bible counselor Mia Godfrey about her remarkable journey from Romania to a life shaped by faith, resilience, and purpose. Throughout their conversation, Mia shares how her faith guided her through uncertainty, how she learned to recognize her purpose, and why surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people can make such a difference when rebuilding your life. What begins as a story of heartbreak becomes a story of transformation, a reminder that even after devastating loss, we can rise from the...
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Career Pivots: Turning Past Experience into New Opportunities with Katie Whipple, Area Sales Manager, Kastenbery (S11: Epi 299)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
Making an intentional career pivot isn’t about starting over, it’s about building on everything you’ve learned along the way. Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Katie Whipple about her varied career journey and how the knowledge, skills, and experience she gained in each role helped her make thoughtful, strategic career changes. Today, Katie brings that diverse experience to her role as Area Sales Manager for Kastenbery, helping small-business owners find smarter ways to save time, reduce costs, and work more efficiently. She shares how embracing a nonlinear...
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How to Overcome Burnout and Build Sustainable Success with Paula Houlihan, author and founder of Choice Mastery (S10: Epi 298)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless talks with Paula Houlihan, founder of Choice Mastery, to explore her inspiring journey from corporate burnout to successful entrepreneur. Paula shares how she once believed that long hours, constant stress, and relentless hustle were simply the price of success. After experiencing burnout firsthand, she transformed her approach to work and life, developing the Choice Mastery Model, a practical framework built around four key steps: Assess, Evaluate, Choose, and Act. Together, Mary and Paula discuss the habits of thought and...
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The Truth About Reaching the C-Suite: Political Fluency, Strategic Leadership & Executive Success with Kristine Frost, founder of Shattered Glass Advisory (S10: Epi 297)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless talks with Kristine Frost, Founder of Shattered Glass Advisory, about the honest truth behind reaching the C-suite and why political fluency is an essential leadership skill. Drawing from more than 25 years of leading people and culture in the automotive industry, Kristine shares her journey as one of the few women in executive leadership, the importance of being in the rooms where key decisions are made, and how women can avoid getting stuck in transactional leadership by developing an enterprise mindset that helps move an...
info_outlineIn this inspiring episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with leadership coach and educator Colleen Souza, author of Living by the Mantras, as she shares how small, intentional words can create powerful shifts. She invites us to live with greater purpose, one mantra at a time.
A nationally recognized educator turned real estate leader, speaker, author, and podcaster, Colleen has spent decades guiding others with honesty, clarity, and practical insight. Her advice is grounded and refreshingly real, the kind that comes from experience, resilience, and a conscious choice to lead with joy.
In her book, Living by the Mantras, Colleen shares the powerful phrases that have shaped her life, along with the lessons behind them, for readers ready to live with more intention and more heart. Her hope is to empower others to live from their values with positivity, heart, and humor.
ABOUT COLLEEN SOUZA:
LinkedIn – Colleen Souza
Website – Living by the Mantras
Podcast – Living by the Mantras
BOOK: Living by the Mantras
ABOUT SWEET BUT FEARLESS:
Website - Sweet but Fearless
LinkedIn - Sweet but Fearless