Melissa Llarena is a career coach with 14 years of experience helping high-achieving corporate professionals worldwide. Melissa shares her pivot during the pandemic from corporate coaching to integrating meditation and mindfulness after relocating to Australia with her family. Now back in the U.S., she uses these practices to navigate intense life challenges like caring for aging parents and raising three sons (including identical twins). The conversation explores balancing ambition with reality—stressing practical tools like meditation, breathwork, and exercise to fuel big dreams without burnout. We discuss the "sweet spot" between obligations (bills, family) and bold goals, the paradoxes of stress in high-stakes jobs, and holding conflicting emotions (e.g., grief and gratitude). A key focus is motherhood: Melissa debunks the "career woman vs. stay-at-home mom" binary, sharing her iterative approach to work-life integration, identity struggles, societal biases (e.g., no Forbes list for moms), and the biological/psychological shifts of parenting. She emphasizes supportive partnerships through communication and adaptability. Melissa promotes her book Fertile Imagination, corporate mindfulness/resilience programs (Resilient and Relaxed Leader), and ends with an empowering message for moms: "You don't need anyone to tell you you're significant." Josh closes by honoring mothers' contributions and inherent worth.0:00 - Intro & Welcome: Josh Introduces Melissa Llarena0:26 - Melissa's Background: 14 Years in Career Coaching High-Achievers0:58 - Pandemic Pivot: Relocating to Australia & Discovering Meditation3:04 - The Stress Spectrum: Corporate Burnout vs. Practical Realities6:07 - Family Adventure in Australia: "Irresponsible but Responsible"7:04 - Fueling Ambition: Wild Dreams Like Placing Book in Library of Alexandria8:38 - Anchors in Reality: Meditation, Breathwork, Workouts for Endurance9:13 - Trade-Offs: Quitting Corporate Job in 2011 for Flexibility10:40 - Meditation vs. Positive Thinking: Creating Space for Dual Realities12:12 - Practical Mindfulness: Loving-Kindness at Trader Joe's13:23 - Holding Paradox: Acknowledging Pain While Uplifting the Mind15:34 - Mom Life Balance: Career Woman or Stay-at-Home? Why Not Both?16:17 - Iterative Parenting: From One Kid to Twins & Sleep Deprivation17:10 - Pre-Kid "Perfect Parent" Illusions vs. Biological Brain Changes19:07 - Identity Struggles: Martyr Mom, Working Mom, Societal Expectations22:34 - Societal Bias: No Forbes List for Stay-at-Home Moms23:44 - Costs of Ambition: Ego, Expenses, and Questioning "Needs"27:51 - Melissa's Offerings: Book *Fertile Imagination*, Corporate Programs29:31 - Parting Message: Moms, You Are Significant Without Validationhttps://www.melissallarena.com/fertileideas/Book: Fertile Imagination: Every Mom's Superpower – https://www.amazon.com/Fertile-Imagination-Stretching-Superpower-Maximum/dp/B0CK2ZSMLBLinkedIn: Melissa Llarena (connect and mention "Josh sent me" or the podcast) – https://linkedin.com/in/melissallarenaCorporate Program: Resilient and Relaxed Leader (mindfulness + resilience training for companies/employee wellness)https://www.instagram.com/melissallarenahttps://www.youtube.com/@CareerOutcomesMatterhttps://twitter.com/CareerOutcomeshttps://www.facebook.com/melissa.llarenadiazWant to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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