Shows
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#24 Returning to Work After a Break - How to Keep Thriving and Not Start All OverYou’ve returned to work after a necessary break—maybe it was for your health, family, or just life. But now you’re wondering… why does it feel like you’re starting from scratch?
In this episode, Monique offers a grounded, strategic take on what it really looks like to return to work after a career pause and the quiet courage it takes to advocate for yourself in the process. Drawing from a real-life conversation, she shares the story of a professional who came back to work only to feel like she had lost her place.
Through t...2025-07-1715 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#23 Roots and Rediscovery: Reconnecting with Familiar SpacesDo you ever feel a mix of emotions when revisiting places connected to your family history? Whether it's a relative's home, a cherished childhood vacation spot, or a community where you spent a lot of time steeped in memories, sometimes these "family spaces" can feel complicated. We evolve, these places change, and the history can be heavy. But what if these complicated places offered an unexpected opportunity for personal growth and creating new, meaningful connections?
In this personal episode, Monique shares her journey back to her family's farm in the rural Midwest. This isn't where she grew...2025-07-1013 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#22 Case Study: Using Google NotebookLM to Catch Up on The Great Life Experiment PodcastIn this special case study episode, Monique takes listeners inside an experiment of her own — using Google’s AI tool, Google NotebookLM, to analyze the first 20 episodes of this podcast.
Part recap, part reflection, this episode blends AI with insight and gently explores how technology can help us see our evolution more clearly. Monique shares surprising themes that emerged and offers a simple invitation: What might you discover if you used a tool like this on your work… or your own life?
Whether you’re new to this podcast or have been here from the start, th...2025-07-0325 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#21 The Internal Struggle with Social Media: A Conversation with Mary Robb, Social Practice CEOWhat if your next professional breakthrough isn’t about doing more but showing up differently?
In this episode, Monique Schafer sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur and social media strategist, Mary Robb. As the founder and CEO of Social Practice, Mary brings the kind of clarity and warmth that cuts through the noise and reminds us what social media was always meant to be: connection, storytelling, and service.
Together, Mary and Monique unpack the messy, beautiful, and often emotional process of showing up online, not just as a business, but as a whole human. They talk ab...2025-06-2645 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#20 It's OK to Feel Quiet & Still For AwhileThis episode is a little different. No guest. No perfectly mapped-out lesson. Just me — showing up in the middle of a quiet, in-between season.
You know those times when the words don’t come? When everything feels a little slower, a little foggier… and you’re not quite sure what’s next, but you know you’re not where you used to be? That’s where I’ve been.
Today, I’m inviting you into the pause. The space between clarity and action. The soft unraveling that happens when you finally let your nervous system breathe. This isn’t...2025-06-1909 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#19 Transform Your Leadership, Network, and Influence One Intentional Step at a Time ft. Katie KrugerIn this episode, Monique Schafer welcomes powerhouse executive Katie Kruger for a raw, riveting, and deeply relatable conversation on transformation, grit, and redefining what success looks like.
Raised in rural Alaska, dreaming of skyscrapers while hauling firewood and joining an exclusive male workforce in the oil fields, Katie now leads in the C-suite of a $35B company and has become a sought-after policy influencer and mentor. Her story is a masterclass in reinvention — not the loud, flashy kind, but the kind that happens when no one is watching, when you say “yes” to growth, over and over again...2025-06-1045 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#18 Pivoting with Purpose: From Marketing Leader to Stay-at-Home-Mom to Fractional CMO and then Franchise Owner ft. Kelsey Murray ft. Kelsey MurrayMonique reconnects with her college roommate and lifelong friend, Kelsey Murray, a former ad agency director with a deep background in marketing and digital strategy. After more than a decade climbing the corporate ladder, she made the bold decision to step away in pursuit of motherhood and a more intentional way of living.
Her career journey has included becoming a stay-at-home mom, launching a photography business, consulting as a fractional CMO, and ultimately stepping into franchise ownership. Each pivot was less about chasing titles and more about rediscovering what truly lights her up.
Together, Monique a...2025-06-0339 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#17 Legit Overwhelm vs. Lifestyle Overwhelm—And What to Do About ItIn this insightful episode, Monique expands on one of the key themes from Episode 15, Foundation Not Fumes, diving deeper into the nuanced and often misunderstood topic of overwhelm. More importantly, the critical difference between legitimate temporary overwhelm and lifestyle overwhelm.
Drawing inspiration from Mel Robbins and her own lived experience as a parent and a business leader, Monique provides listeners clear, actionable strategies for regaining clarity, presence, and momentum in both life and business.
Whether you’re managing a business, a household, or both, this episode offers practical, compassionate guidance for reclaiming mental clarity and capa...2025-05-2710 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#16 Training 1000 Women for Corporate Boards ft. Michele AshbyIn this episode, Monique Schafer sits down with Michele Ashby, a trailblazing executive, board director, and founder of ACE LLC. With over three decades of experience in finance and capital markets, and eight board seats under her belt, Michelle is on a mission to train 1,000 women to step into corporate boardrooms with confidence, clarity, and impact.
Together, Monique and Michelle dive into the real path to board leadership — from mastering governance and financial acumen to navigating the unspoken dynamics of the good old boys’ network. They also explore the mindset shifts women need to own their value, silen...2025-05-2354 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#15: Foundations Not Fumes: Surviving Parenthood and Burnout with Crystal Rose Harvey & Danielle DeannaIn this first fireside chat, Monique Schafer brings together three dynamic women - Crystal Harvey, Danielle Deanna, and herself - to explore the critical theme of building strong foundations in life. Though their paths and experiences differ, they share a common thread: the importance of intentionality, self-awareness, and purposeful growth across personal, professional, and family domains.
As mothers, entrepreneurs, and individuals navigating complex life transitions, they dive deep into how we can create resilient foundations that support us through challenges. From parenting and marriage to business and personal development, this conversation offers raw, honest insights into maintaining...2025-05-161h 06
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#14: High-Powered Love for High-Performance Couples ft. Heather ClarkWhat happens when two driven, high-achieving people fall in love and try to do life — careers, kids, dreams — together? You get high-powered love, with all the magic and the mess that comes with it.
In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant and deeply grounded Heather Clark, a licensed therapist and expert trained in trauma reprocessing and EDMR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She works specifically with high-performing couples who are navigating success, stress, and the sacredness of their relationships. Think of powerhouses who are crushing it at work but are feeling disconnected at home! Heather is th...2025-05-1339 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#13: After Hours Advice: What to Do When You Are Already Overloaded & Something New Is Added?Picture this: It’s late. The day’s been a lot, and we’re in post-bedtime haze when big thoughts come out. The ones when something from work is still swirling in your head, and you just need to say it out loud to someone who gets it.
That’s exactly where this episode begins.
In this episode, you’ll hear a real-time conversation between me and my husband, Ben, as we talk through a super common leadership challenge — what to do when you’re already maxed out and someone adds another priority to your plate? How do y...2025-05-0930 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#12: Ask Monique: You’ve Done Everything “Right” But It’s Still Not Working? Let’s Talk Decision-MakingThere are moments in life when you’re doing all the “right” things — you’re showing up, you followed the plan, you played by the rules — and somehow, it’s still not working. It’s frustrating. It’s heartbreaking. And it can leave you questioning everything.
In this episode, I’m opening up about those exact moments — the ones that test your patience, your plans, and your belief in what’s possible. We’ll also explore what it really takes to make decisions when clarity feels far away, and you’re craving direction but getting silence. Whether it’s showing up in your busin...2025-05-0625 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#11: Ask Monique: Top 5 Human Skills for the Future in the Age of AILet’s be real: AI is here, and it’s flipping the script on how we work, lead, and connect. But here’s the thing they don’t tell you — the most valuable thing in the age of AI is still YOU. Your humanness, your intuition, your vibe, and your ability to make meaning out of a mess.
In this episode, I’m spilling the tea on the top 5 human skills that research says will actually matter as AI continues to evolve. These are not just fluffy soft skills. These are power tools for your career, your creativity, y...2025-05-0231 min
The GREAT LIFE Experiment Podcast#10: Navigating Life's Flow: Tools for Clarity ft. Cathy HawkYou know that moment when something feels “off” — you can’t quite name it, but you know you’re not where you’re meant to be? Maybe you’re over-functioning. Maybe you’re burned out. Or maybe life just feels muddy, and you’re ready to gain clarity, lit up, and be aligned again.
Today, I’m joined by my mentor and one of the original voices in the coaching space, Cathy Hawk. Cathy is the founding director of Clarity International™ and the co-creator of the groundbreaking Choice Point Map and Clarity River frameworks that have helped thousands reconnect wit...2025-04-2849 min