The Bright Method Podcast: Realistic Time Management and Productivity for Working Women & Working Moms

Ready for a time management approach that is actually designed for professional working women – ones that help you lighten the mental load, draw boundaries with more confidence, focus on the important (not just urgent) stuff at work, and be present with friends and family? Podcast host, Kelly Nolan, an attorney-turned-time management strategist, mom of two, and creator of the Bright Method™, delivers practical, realistic time management strategies tailored for busy professional women, working moms, and ambitious women juggling careers and home life. We cover topics like: How to time-block in a way that actually works and avoid common time-blocking mistakes, How to manage the mental load around all of our roles at work and at home, How to handle work deadlines with less stress and scramble, How to keep distractions in check, from social media to people swinging by your office, and How to plan in a realistic way so you can feel on top of it all and avoid overcommitment. Whether you're a lawyer, physician, executive, woman in corporate, professor, entrepreneur, or any woman navigating a full plate, this podcast gives you tools to design a sustainable system that works for your real life—not a Pinterest-perfect version of it. Follow now, and let's get you falling asleep proud of what you got done today and calm about what's on tap tomorrow.

127. Practical Tips for Friendship with Danielle Bayard Jackson 12/29/2025

126. How to Practically Build Peace With The Effort Required For or Given To A Result 12/22/2025

125. Answering 3 Questions: Isn't calendaring like this overwhelming? 12/15/2025

124. How to get more strategic, creative ideas 12/08/2025

123. A Lightbulb Moment: Empowerment Without A System Leads to Overcommitment (idea from Eleanor Beaton) 12/01/2025

122. Your Capacity & Your Capability Are Different Things (Talking About Suzy Reading's Amazing Quote) 11/24/2025

121. Slow-Rolling Tasks & Shiny Object Syndrome Bosses (or Selves) 11/17/2025

120. Time Zones: My Achilles' Heel 11/10/2025

119. Theme Days: Why I don't do them, but it's a personal call! 11/03/2025

118. Why I don't let AI make my time management decisions 10/27/2025

117. For my All-or-Nothing Thinkers (🙋🏻‍♀️) 10/20/2025

116. Flexibility & Accountability: Owning what we really want our time to look like 10/13/2025

116. Flexibility & Accountability: Owning what we really want our time to look like When I used to think about time management, Past Me assumed, on some level, that the goal was to keep work in work hours and personal life in personal hours. But in reality, life is far more nuanced — and that’s where the powerful dynamic of flexibility and accountability comes in. In this episode, I share how hearing statements about how high flexibilty comes with high accountability put to words something I'd been learning was the real goal for many women when it comes to time management. Over the years, I’ve realized that what many professional women actually want is flexibility in their schedules to fit in real life into their work hours – workouts, doctor’s appointments, family needs – while still being highly accountable to the work they’ve agreed to do. We’ll talk about: How my definition of successful time management shifted from “free up nights and weekends” to creating a system that flexes with different life phases. Why flexibility matters more than rigid schedules. How to distinguish between healthy flexibility and an unsustainable workload that can’t be solved by accountability alone. Why learning a system over a schedule empowers you to evolve your approach as your life changes. This is a reminder that flexibility in time management isn’t about working all the time — it’s about designing your days and weeks to reflect your real life, while still being accountable to doing excellent work. If you want to start seeing your capacity vs. workload in a more objective way, check out my free 5-day program at . Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/38458865

114. An Example of Saying No When You Want to Say Yes 09/29/2025

114. An Example of Saying No When You Want to Say Yes Saying no is rarely easy — especially when the opportunity is something you really want to say yes to. In this episode, I share a personal example of when I turned down a big media opportunity that landed right in the middle of my family’s annual Colorado trip. On paper, I was technically available. My husband could’ve watched the kids, my calendar was clear, and the opportunity would’ve been great for my business. But in practice? Saying yes would have derailed my ability to truly unplug, be present with my family, and recharge. In this episode, I walk you through: The ripple effects of saying yes — from prep time and tech checks to energy recovery afterward. Why the pause is the most powerful tool when you’re tempted to say yes too quickly. How to evaluate the true cost of opportunities beyond the calendar block they appear to take. The difference between scarcity thinking (“this may never come again”) and embracing a more abundance mindset (even if a little woo). Why protecting vacation time, family time, and rest can sometimes matter more than visibility opportunities. How saying no doesn’t just protect you — it also builds strength, clarity, and integrity. I also share how I reframed the “no” by connecting the opportunity with another woman in my field. It reminded me that collaboration, generosity, and boundaries can all exist together. If you ever feel guilty or second-guess yourself when saying no — especially to exciting opportunities — this episode might help you see the full picture and feel more confident in your decision-making. Check out my free 5-day time blocking program at to practice visually mapping out ripple effects before you commit. And if you’re ready to go deeper, enrollment for the Bright Method 10-week program opens October 3rd. More info on both below. Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/38366805

113. Halloween: A great example of mental load & how calendars help 09/22/2025

112. Three work challenges: getting interrupted on in office days, too ambitious when planning, long commutes that feel like wasted time 09/15/2025

111. Getting Less Stress In Your Life Isn't Always Efficient – And We Need To Own That 09/01/2025

111. Getting Less Stress In Your Life Isn't Always Efficient – And We Need To Own That When US society talks about time management, the conversation often assumes the goals of productivity and efficiency. Do more in less time. Move faster. Cram it all in. But here’s the truth I want to unpack today: I believe our real goal for time management (at least for people similar to me) is more peace of mind and clarity and less stress, and less stress isn’t always efficient — and that’s okay. Today's episode digs into: Why American productivity culture gets it wrong by idolizing efficiency as the key to getting the life you want. How to reframe your goal so that calm and breathing space (not constant speed) drive your decisions. Why creating margin in your day — even if it’s “inefficient” — leads to better quality work, more joy, and less burnout. Three practical strategies to help you implement this shift: Build in padding to your calendar (for commutes, deadlines, and transitions). Let go of commitments to make space for that padding. Ask grounding questions like “How do I want my life to feel?” and “What do I want the pace of my life to be?” As I share in this episode, I still want to do a lot — from running a business to raising kids to having a full life outside of work. But the only way I can do it with any joy is by optimizing for less stress, not more efficiency. If you’ve ever felt like productivity hacks left you running faster but enjoying less, this episode will give you a fresh, practical framework: optimize for breathing space, not efficiency. Enrollment for the Bright Method program opens September 10 at 10:00 AM CST. With this 10-week system, you’ll learn how to bring these ideas into your own life using a realistic, calendar-based approach that accounts for everything — personal and professional. Learn more at . Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/38029405

110. Career Shifts with Your Whole Person in Mind with Career Coach Sarah Wagoner 08/25/2025

110. Career Shifts with Your Whole Person in Mind with Career Coach Sarah Wagoner Career transitions aren’t just about the potential new job — they ripple into every part of your life. In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Wagoner, a certified leadership and transformation coach, to talk about navigating career changes while also accounting for the realities of your whole life — from raising young kids to caring for aging parents. We dig into: Why you can’t separate your career from your personal life (and how ignoring this leads to burnout). The “moment of awakening” many women hit when work no longer feels aligned — often triggered by a new baby, health crisis, or family shift. How to use an energy inventory to understand what lights you up at work — and what drains you. The importance of knowing your values during your current phase (because values shift!) and using them to guide decisions at work and home. Boundaries as a filter — not a wall — and what that looks like in practice for professional women. Examples of how Sarah’s clients have designed their careers and leadership roles to fit their real lives — including moving into leadership roles, taking consulting contracts, and saying no to roles that didn’t align. I especially love Sarah’s approach because it parallels how I teach time management for working moms and professional women: your calendar has to reflect your whole life – the personal and the professional (not just work) – for it to work because your time and energy are limited, and your plans for both have to work together as one has an impact on the other. If you’re in a season of asking: Is this job still right for me? Do I even want to move up, or do I miss the individual contributor work I used to love? How do I juggle my career and the demands of family life without burning out? …this episode is for you. Sarah shares practical tools, grounded strategies, and thought-provoking questions to help you re-meet yourself after big life changes — so your career actually supports the life you want in this chapter. To connect with Sarah, you can find her at: On her website, On Instagram: On Linkedin: Additional links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/37934345

109. "Brain thinks I need an hour chunk to start. Such a loss." 08/11/2025

108. Business Owner Finances with Shanna Skimore 07/28/2025

108. Business Owner Finances with Shanna Skimore This episode is geared toward the business owner (e.g., attorneys running their own firms, physicians or therapists running their own practices, architects or interior designers running their own businesses) – though I suspect everyone can get something out of it. As business owners, how we spend our time has an impact on how much revenue and profit we experience. To discuss that with far more expertise than I have, I'm thrilled to have Shanna Skidmore—a business strategist and former Fortune 100 financial advisor—on the podcast to talk about how to build a business in a way that honors your time, your energy, and your life outside of work. We get into: How time and finances intersect in business How to define what “enough” looks like for you—and how to use that to guide your business decisions How to shift how you use your time in light of your "enough" number and where your time and finances currently stand How building processes to help you with workflows and client communications can help – even if you don't want to raise your rates, and so much more. To learn more about Shanna Skidmore & her wonderful work: Here website: , More about her podcast, Consider the Wildflowers: Watch her free webinar: Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/37562610

107. Making Back-to-School Less Scramble-y & Enjoying the Rest of Summer 07/08/2025

107. Making Back-to-School Less Scramble-y & Enjoying the Rest of Summer Note: The Bright Method is not just for moms, and I try to have most episodes of this podcast apply to everyone – regardless of whether they have kids. But sometimes, the time management challenges associated with kids need to be addressed, so this is one of those episodes. If you are kid-free, feel free to skip this one and tune back in for the next! Back-to-school season is coming—whether your kids are starting in early August or later (and feel free to save this one for later if you're not ready to think about it yet). In this episode, I'll walk you through how to make the transition into the school year less stressful, less scramble-y, and more calm. Plus, it'll help you get back to enjoying the rest of your summer knowing you're on top of the upcoming back-to-school season. Whether you’re already feeling the low hum of logistical stress about supply lists, new routines, haircuts, and first-day emotions—or you’re someone who doesn’t think about it and then ends up scrambling later—this episode will help. I walk through: Why calendaring back-to-school tasks now will help you actually enjoy the rest of your summer more Why it’s worth starting with a blank sheet of paper before diving into the guide The benefit of calendaring out emotions around transitions (with a powerful story from a client about how it helped her stay calm during a kindergartner meltdown) What to do if you already feel like you’ve “missed the boat” on something like a haircut (hint: how to make sure it doesn’t happen again next year) A super practical tip from a fellow mom on what to do if a behavior or concern is bothering you now (but may resolve itself soon) How to use your calendar to help you have important conversations with your kids—and remember to actually follow through All of this is a small peek into how the Bright Method works: making the invisible visible, creating clarity through realistic planning, and helping you enjoy the now without dropping the ball later. → Grab the free back-to-school calendar guide I mention in this episode: → Try the free five-day program (Reset & Refresh): → Explore the full Bright Method program or join the waitlist for September enrollment: Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/37340110

106. Protecting Strategy / Big-Picture Time From the Urgent: A Potentially Novel Way to Do It 06/30/2025

105. The Diderot Effect of Time Management 06/16/2025

105. The Diderot Effect of Time Management Ever say yes to something—like a board role, a volunteer opportunity, or a work project—only to find yourself totally overrun with email, meetings, travel, and curveballs that just keep on coming? Today, I’m talking about how something called the “Diderot Effect” can help us understand time management challenges like this. Originally coined in the consumerism space, the Diderot Effect refers to the domino effect that can happen when one new purchase leads to another and another—like a new dressing gown triggering a living room makeover or a new iPhone triggering all the accessories. When it comes to time, we do something similar. We say yes to one thing—and suddenly find ourselves buried in the cascade of responsibilities that come with it. In short, it’s the Diderot Effect of time management. And in this episode, I share how you can use this idea to: More realistically estimate the true time cost of a new commitment Say yes with eyes wide open—and with more informed consent Own your decision (and ride the curveballs more steadily) And as a corollary, reduce the curveballs in your life Plus, I touch on the distinction between maker and manager roles, why I think a lot of this comes back to workload, and a great place to start if your days are full of firefighting. It’s a short episode—but I think it packs a punch. Resources mentioned: Listen to Episode 23 for more on the maker vs. manager distinction Thanks for being here! Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36998025

104. Checking the "Success" Boxes & Still Feeling Unfulfilled? Finding Yourself & Joy with Heather Hubbard about What to Do. 06/02/2025

104. Checking the "Success" Boxes & Still Feeling Unfulfilled? Finding Yourself & Joy with Heather Hubbard about What to Do. In this episode, I’m talking with Heather Hubbard, a former Big Law partner who now leads transformational retreats to help women hear and reconnect with themselves. Heather works with women who’ve done all the “right” things—built successful careers, checked all the personal boxes—and yet still feel unfulfilled or surprised by how they’re feeling. If that resonates with you, I think you’re going to really enjoy this conversation. Heather shares how a two-week unplugged vacation to Tanzania changed everything for her and why unplugging is so critical to hearing your own voice. We also dig into why many of us don’t realize how disconnected we’ve become from our real wants, how childhood versions of ourselves can serve as clues to the joy we’re missing, and why being bored can actually lead to good things. You’ll also hear us talk about: Why people-pleasing and fear are often what actually hold us back from doing what we want Why saying yes to something always means saying no to something else (and how to be more intentional about it) What comes up for high-achieving women when they finally create quiet and space for clarity—and how powerful that can be We also walk through what Heather’s retreats actually look like—from the luxury setting to the no-phones-allowed policy to the types of transformations people experience (and they’re not always what people expect when they walk in the door). Even if attending a retreat isn’t on your radar right now, Heather shares bite-sized strategies you can start using today to begin reconnecting with yourself, including how to hear yourself again even in the midst of a busy, noisy life. Resources mentioned: Heather’s retreat info and free assessment: Heather’s podcast: Hustle & Flow Heather on Instagram: Other links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36794340

103. Finding the "Living Up to Your Potential" Concept Troubling 05/26/2025

103. Finding the "Living Up to Your Potential" Concept Troubling Today’s episode is a little different. I’ve been turning over the idea of “living up to your potential” for years, and I’m finally putting words to why it bothers me so much. If that phrase has ever driven your decision-making—or weighed on you in a way you couldn’t quite articulate—I think it's worth examining and challenging it. I’m not saying you shouldn’t want more or chase goals. But I believe this phrase often leads us away from what we actually want – to choices that are disconnected from our happiness and real desires. And ironically, it can even block us from having the real impact we might be seeking in the first place. In this episode, I share: Why the phrase “fulfilling your potential” feels made up How it shows up in conversations and decision-making, especially among ambitious women Why this framing often leads us to dismiss our own happiness, joy, and satisfaction A story about how, if I’d used “potential” as a decision-making guide, I might never have left law—and never started the business I love (and arguably is me "fulfilling my potential" "more," if that makes sense) A powerful quote from a podcast that hit me hard: “I guess I’d rather be special than happy” Why none of this is about shaming ambition—but about grounding our goals in what we want The danger of measuring life through a blurry concept that doesn’t actually have a finish line A reminder that we can want what we want—and that can be enough If you’ve internalized the "fulfilling your potential" message, I hope this episode helps you question the story behind that phrase. What if there is no fixed “potential” you have to live up to? You get to want what you want—and build your life around that. Let me know what you think. Mentioned links: Other links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36722035

102. Improving Sleep with Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, triple board-certified sleep physician 05/19/2025

102. Improving Sleep with Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, triple board-certified sleep physician Let’s talk about sleep. If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you know I’m pretty obsessed with sleep. I talked about it during my Year of Ease episode (ep. 9) and in the health episode (ep. 82) about how to realistically make time for your health—and I shared how, in my totally inexpert opinion, if you don’t know where to start, I’d start with sleep because of the ripple effect it has on everything else. But here’s the thing: while I care a lot about sleep, I’m not an expert in it. That’s why I’m so thrilled to bring you this conversation with someone who is: Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown. Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown is a triple board-certified sleep physician and the founder of Restful Sleep MD. She is also the best-selling author of Beyond Tired—A Sleep Physician’s Guide to Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problems for Good. She helps individuals prioritize sleep, achieve optimal health, thrive, and live to their fullest potential. As a busy physician and mom of two, she understands the impact of sleep deprivation on our mental, physical, and emotional health. She has made it her mission to help others make sleep a priority. She also works with organizations and businesses to improve their health by incorporating healthy sleep into their wellness journey. She is a consultant and a speaker on regional, national, and international platforms. She has also published several peer-reviewed manuscripts on various sleep disorders. She obtained her sleep medicine training at the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode, we talk about: Why sleep is so important and what can happen when we don't get enough of it The ripple effects of both sleep deprivation and solid sleep—on your mood, productivity, memory, immune system, mental health, decision-making, and long-term health how to improve both the quantity and quality of your sleep, especially when life is busy A helpful CREATE acronym Dr. Funke walks us through to realistically improve sleep hygiene For women with ADHD, some additional practical strategies that might help Tips for shift workers and anyone whose job schedule makes sleep harder to protect How to start realistically making small changes to protect your sleep even in full seasons of life This episode is packed with helpful, actionable information. Whether you’re just curious about what better sleep could feel like—or you’re in the thick of a sleep-deprived season and looking for any traction you can get—I hope this helps. I'm so excited to share Dr. Funke with you as she’s such a generous, practical resource in this space. To learn more about Dr. Funke, her practice, her book, or her YouTube channel, see these links: Website: Beyond Tired Book: Instagram: Linkedin: Facebook: Other links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36612340

101. Meal Planning & Prep Tips with Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf 05/12/2025

101. Meal Planning & Prep Tips with Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf Meal planning and meal prep come up again and again as one of the top time management challenges professional working women face on the personal side of life—and it makes sense. Between picking recipes, building grocery lists, shopping, and then actually making the meals, it’s a lot—and it happens every single week. In this episode, I’m joined by Allison Schaaf, a registered dietitian, trained chef, and the founder of Prep Dish, a meal planning service designed to reduce the time and mental load that come with feeding yourself and your family. If you’ve ever wished for an option that hits the middle ground between a full meal kit delivery and figuring it all out on your own, this might be it. In this conversation, we dig into: why meal planning is such a universal time management pain point, especially for working parents how to simplify and systematize it so it’s not something you reinvent every week practical strategies for tackling both meal planning and prep in realistic ways (especially if cooking isn’t your thing) different ways to involve your kids so they’re more likely to actually eat the food you make the behind-the-scenes of Prep Dish and how it helps people reduce the invisible workload that comes with meals—without going all the way to fully outsourced kits how to use your calendar to support and protect your meal planning time and how Allison built this company after working as a personal chef and seeing what worked in real life Whether you love cooking and just want to lighten the lift—or you're trying to get through dinner without a meltdown (yours or someone else’s)—this conversation offers great ideas and an option you may not have known existed. Allison also shares a generous free trial of Prep Dish just for Bright Method listeners. To grab it, go to Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36517215

100(!). The 100th episode: A message I have not said enough – you can do this. 05/05/2025

100(!). The 100th episode: A message I have not said enough – you can do this. In this 100th episode of the Bright Method podcast, I’m sharing something I haven’t said enough: I believe you can do this. Yes, time management is hard. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. In fact, the reason it feels hard is usually because your life got more complicated—and the system you were using just can’t keep up. But even though it's hard, you CAN do this. Today, let's talk about: Why I don’t believe time management is a quick fix The kind of women I’ve worked with across 350+ Bright Method clients—and why that matters for you The only profession I’ve seen where Bright Method is a tricky fit (and what that tells us about calendar control) What’s often really going on when people say, “I don’t have control over my calendar” Why I believe women with ADHD and women who love paper can absolutely use the Bright Method How we mold the system to fit you—not the other way around Why being smart—and you are—means you can learn this skill, even if it feels overwhelming at first What one big law associate shared about implementing the Bright Method… 3 years after taking the program Plus, I share a behind-the-scenes look at my own experience: I’m not some mythical Pinterest-perfect person. I lose my keys. I leave food sitting on my desk. I had to learn this stuff just like everyone else—and I still use it every single day because it works. If you’ve ever thought, “This sounds good, but I'm not sure I could do it,” I hope this episode gives you a different perspective. If you want to try out the Bright Method for free, check out my 5-day video series at . And truly: thanks for being here for 100 episodes. I’m so glad you’re here. Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36425705

99. Career Changes with Career Coach Julia Lynch (of @smarterinasec) 04/28/2025

99. Career Changes with Career Coach Julia Lynch (of @smarterinasec) Today, we’re talking about career transitions and job searches—and I’m excited to bring on a guest to help us with it: career coach Julia Lynch. Inside the Bright Method, women gain clarity around where their time is going. And once some see it all laid out in front of them, they realize that it’s not just a "them" issue, it’s that their industry or employer just isn't the right fit for the life they want. That clarity often kicks off the desire to make a job move. To help with that process, I brought on Julia Lynch. Julia is a personal brand strategist and career coach who helps high-powered women make bold career moves by networking smartly and packaging their experience in a way that opens new doors. She's also the woman behind the Instagram handle and Substack . In this episode, we cover: The first step you need to take before you even start networking. Why it’s your job to create the story about who you are and what you bring to the table—so others can take that story and market you to others. Why you should start networking before you need a job. How some senior-level jobs are shifting into more "fractional" roles—and what that means. What a career coach like Julia really does and how to think about whether working with one makes sense for you. What to ask if you’re thinking about hiring a career coach. We also talk about the reality that if you've been heads-down in one industry for a decade or more, it’s hard to know what else is out there—and how working with someone who knows the landscape can help you move faster and smarter. Whether you’re already thinking about a move or just want to be ready in case you want to make one down the road, I think you’ll find this conversation helpful. , and you can set up a . You can also find Julia on Instagram at and on her Substack, —she’s a great follow for both smart career advice and fun recs. Thanks for being here—and here’s to making career moves that better align with the life you want. Additional links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36321575

98. Your Boss Has No Idea What's on Your Plate Today – and 5 Things that Means 04/21/2025

98. Your Boss Has No Idea What's on Your Plate Today – and 5 Things that Means In this episode of the Bright Method Podcast, I dig into something I wish I’d fully appreciated earlier in my career: your boss likely has no idea what’s actually on your plate. That’s true whether you work for multiple people or just one—and it matters when it comes to managing your workload in a realistic and less overwhelming way. We’ll cover: Why you shouldn’t assume the work being assigned to you is reasonable or doable What it looks like to truly take ownership of your workload—and why it’s empowering Why understanding your own capacity is the first step in managing your workload Why this empowers you to propose solutions you want and protect the kind of work you enjoy What to do when your boss won’t adjust your workload—and how that clarity can still serve you Why boundaries “work” even when they don’t go the way you want them to I also talk through how a visual, calendar-based system helped me go from feeling constantly underwater to confidently managing what I could take on—and even turning down work in a clear, strategic way. Plus, I share a client story about how this clarity led to a more reasonable workload and enjoyable work that made a bigger impact. If you’d like a free way to get started with this system, check out my 5-day Reset & Refresh series at . You can also DM me the word “refresh” on Instagram to get the link. Links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36226695

97. People Pleasing with Michelle Gauthier 04/14/2025

97. People Pleasing with Michelle Gauthier In this episode of the Bright Method Podcast, I’m joined by professional life coach Michelle Gauthier to explore a topic that deeply affects how we spend our time—people pleasing. If you’ve ever said yes when you wanted to say no, or agreed to something before even thinking it through, this episode is for you. We break down: What people pleasing really is (hint: it’s not just being nice) How to recognize it, even when it’s subtle The emotional and physical cues that signal it’s happening Why so many high-achieving women fall into this trap Practical strategies to pause before saying yes and evaluate requests with intention Michelle’s “Love & Fit” test to help you assess whether a request is aligned with the life you want Specific phrases to use when you want to say no with kindness and confidence Tips for handling pushback when you do say no How to gamify the process and even calendar your “nos” so you can see how much time you’re reclaiming Michelle and I share examples from our personal and professional lives, including the awkward conversations we’ve had to navigate and the mental load that comes with trying to control how others perceive us. If you’ve ever resented someone for asking you to do something—because you felt like you “had” to say yes—this episode will help you step back, get curious, and reclaim your time. Michelle Gauthier is the host of the Overwhelmed Working Woman podcast and helps high-achieving women create calmer, more intentional lives through private coaching and group programs. She brings warmth, humor, and a down-to-earth approach to this powerful and all-too-relatable conversation. Whether you’re looking to set stronger boundaries at work, say no to another PTA role, or just want to stop defaulting to yes, you’ll walk away from this episode with tools you can actually use—starting today. Learn more about Michelle at , and listen to her podcast, , wherever you get your podcasts. Additional links you might enjoy: Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm. Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time. If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind. /episode/index/show/41159182-faeb-4c7c-89f8-ed4217b87494/id/36109485

The Bright Method Podcast: Realistic Time Management and Productivity for Working Women & Working Moms

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