In this energizing conversation, Tim Fergestad sits down with Kathleen Carlson, founder and CEO of Straight Up Executive Consulting, to explore what it truly means to live a successful executive life without losing yourself along the way.

Kathleen opens up about her 30+ year journey in leadership at a Fortune 50 company and the intense pressure that led her to reinvent her life and career. She now helps high-performing leaders who look successful on the outside but feel exhausted or misaligned on the inside. Together, Tim and Kathleen unpack the difference between mindset and mental fitness, why “success isn’t supposed to hurt,” and the transformative power of creating a life—not just a living.

You’ll hear about the real challenges faced by leaders today, how unresolved stress impacts decision-making, and why clarity is the critical first step toward meaningful success. Kathleen also shares practical tools for emotional self-regulation, including her nighttime forgiveness ritual and how mental fitness training builds resilience.

Whether you’re an executive on the edge, a leader seeking more meaning, or someone striving to align your outer success with inner peace, this episode is a must-listen.

------------------------------------------------ Interested in being part of this? Please visit our guest invitation page where you can learn more and fill out a brief questionnaire to get started: https://phoenixprosperitypodcast.com/guest It’s going to be enlightening and, most importantly, a lot of fun. I’d love for you to be a part of it!