A Wake Up Call

What if self leadership isn’t about doing more… but about learning to listen sooner?

Today, Tess and Layne sit down with global leadership expert, author, and “conversation architect” Holly Ransom for a deeply human chat about resilience, purpose, and the tools that stop high performers from quietly burning out behind the scenes.

They rewind to the sliding doors moments that shaped Holly’s life, from being spotted by Richard Branson and thrown into the world of hosting and interviewing, to a raw early chapter where overwhelm, exhaustion and a heavy diagnosis forced her to rebuild from the ground up. Together, they unpack the difference between being clinically unwell and being chronically overworked, and why so many of us reach for labels before we look at sleep, stress, nutrition, movement and recovery.

From there, the episode becomes a practical masterclass in energy management. Holly shares the shift that changed everything for her: manage energy, not time. They explore how wearables like the Oura Ring can be a powerful mirror (if you actually listen to it), why sleep hygiene matters more than you think, and how micro breaks, breathwork, and play can downregulate your nervous system in minutes, not hours.

This is an episode for anyone who feels like they’re “coping”… but running on fumes. If you’ve been pushing through, overriding your body, or living in permanent upregulation, this conversation will bring you back to the simplest question: what do I truly need right now?

In this episode, we talk about:

Holly’s sliding doors moments and how one opportunity can reroute a whole life
The early burnout chapter, the weight of labels, and what “push through” culture costs us
The difference between depression and being overwhelmed, overworked, and overtired
Why self leadership starts with self awareness, self knowing, and conviction
Managing energy, not time, and matching your best hours to your most important work
The Oura Ring effect: how data can change behaviour (and why it’s useless if you ignore it)
Sleep hygiene shifts that dramatically improve recovery, even with the same hours in bed
Upregulation vs downregulation and why most of us only train one direction
Micro breaks: how 90 seconds to 3 minutes can reset your nervous system
Breathwork basics, box breathing, and why it works even when you think it’s “woo”
Energy vampires and learning to notice who or what drains you after the fact
The itty bitty shitty committee, courage zones, and doing the scary thing with a meaningful why
How kids reintroduce play, presence, and joy (whether you’re ready or not)
What leaders like Amal Clooney, Obama, Brené Brown, Venus Williams and McConaughey taught Holly about self leadership
Betting on yourself, not letting Plan B become Plan A, and asking people to help you stick the landing
If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect” window to take care of yourself, this episode is your reminder that regulation isn’t a luxury. It’s a skill. And you can start with the smallest reps, the tiniest resets, and the simplest choices that bring you back into your body.

And if you’re listening thinking, “I want support, accountability, and tools I can actually use,” Tess and Layne share how you can join The Awake Collective for monthly coaching, community, and practices that help you keep doing the work.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the healthiest version of you is built from the simplest things?

Today, Tess and Layne kick off a powerful 7 week challenge built around what they call the Seven Doctors, a set of science backed, everyday habits that can transform your energy, mood, focus and wellbeing without needing an overhaul of your whole life.

Layne shares the personal story behind this framework, the tools and rituals she committed to after winning her sixth consecutive world title, and how those tiny, consistent 1 percenters became a literal prescription for vitality.

From there, the episode becomes a grounded, practical guide to the habits that most of us know we need, but forget the moment life gets busy. Tess and Layne unpack why health and happiness have been overcomplicated, why the basics still work, and why the secret is not just doing the habit. It’s connecting to how it makes you feel.
This is an episode for anyone who feels foggy, flat, burnt out, overwhelmed, or like they’re constantly trying to “fix” themselves with big, exhausting plans. These doctors are simple, accessible, and surprisingly transformative. And the best part? They’re free.

In this episode, we talk about:

What the Seven Doctors are, and why they’re a simple roadmap back to vitality
Why wellbeing doesn’t need to be hard to be effective
The power of 1 percenters, habit stacking, and building momentum without perfection
Doctor 1: Water, and why dehydration can look like hunger, brain fog and fatigue
A simple way to think about hydration and why quality matters
Doctor 2: Movement, and why exercise is one of the most effective antidepressants we have
How to start when you’re depleted, injured, overwhelmed, or “not in the mood”
Why consistency beats intensity, and how to make movement feel like joy
Doctor 3: Nutrition, and why protein can be a game changer for energy and strength
The mindset shift from “skinny” to “strong” and why it changes everything
Doctor 4: Sunshine, and how light resets mood, energy and circadian rhythm
The idea of sunshine breaks and why 90 seconds outside can shift your whole day
Doctor 5: Laughter, and why it’s one of the fastest ways to deactivate stress
How to schedule more joy and train your life to feel lighter again
Doctor 6: Active rest, and why your brain can’t be on screens all day and recover at night
How rest restores creativity, clarity and nervous system regulation
Doctor 7: Journaling, and why “dump it out, don’t take it out” creates instant relief
Why gratitude works when you anchor it in feeling, not just words
If you’ve been trying to push through, hustle harder, or hold it all together, this episode will remind you that change doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from returning to what works, and letting the basics rebuild you.

And if you’re listening thinking, “I want to do this with support and accountability,” Tess and Layne share how you can join The Awake Collective for the full 7 week Seven Doctors challenge, with community, prompts, coaching and momentum to help you actually stick with it.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the story you’re telling is the thing keeping you stuck?

In this special bonus episode of A Wake-Up Call, Tess and Layne revisit a deeply personal moment that reveals how powerful our internal stories can be, and how quickly they can pull us out of alignment with who we really are.

Layne shares the story of a competitive surf event that spiralled into weeks of self-judgement and withdrawal. Not because of the moment itself, but because of the meaning attached to it. The fear of being seen. The weight of expectation. The pressure of identity.

Together, Tess and Layne explore how stories turn into beliefs, why simply “knowing better” isn’t always enough to move on, and what it really takes to release a narrative that no longer serves you. They unpack intuition, embodiment, and the importance of rewriting stories from truth rather than fear.

This episode is a reminder that growth isn’t about forcing positivity. It’s about reconnecting with your deepest truth, letting go of outdated identities, and returning to lightness, flow, and joy.

In this episode, we talk about:
How stories loop and quietly erode confidence
Why fear-based narratives grow stronger the more we repeat them
The difference between rationalising and telling the truth
How ignoring intuition disconnects you from trust and ease
Shame, self-judgement, and the fear of being seen
Why embodiment helps process what words can’t

We also explore:
The moment Layne realised she needed to “shed the skin” of expectation
How letting go creates freedom and lightness
Why life works best when you remember the dance
If you’ve been stuck replaying a moment or carrying the weight of who you think you’re meant to be, this episode will help you soften the story and reconnect with trust, intuition, and flow.

And if you’re listening thinking, “I want support to do this work,” we share how you can join The Awake Collective for ongoing coaching, community, and practical tools.

Connect with Awake
• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your next breakthrough is on the other side of being seen?

Today we’re joined by world renowned performance psychologist Dr Michael Gervais for a conversation that will change how you think about confidence, vulnerability, and what it really means to grow.

Tess opens the episode with a raw intention, navigating a heavy season with family and teenagers, and the ache of knowing you have the tools, but still having to let the people you love find their own way. From there, the conversation moves into one of the most freeing concepts you’ll hear all year: the danger line.

Michael explains why growth happens at the edge of discomfort, and why for most of us the real danger is not physical. It’s social. It’s the fear of being judged, misunderstood, or exposed. The fear of looking stupid. The fear of caring deeply and coming up short.

This episode is packed with lived stories, elite performance psychology, and deeply human truths about identity, ego, and what keeps us playing small. If you’ve ever felt yourself holding back, performing to look okay, or avoiding the very thing you want most, this will land.

In this episode, we talk about:
What the “danger line” is, and why growth lives right at the edge of it
Why most danger today is social danger, the fear of people’s opinions
The hidden ways we play the “look okay” game instead of going all in
Michael’s pivotal story from his PhD program: when ego hijacks presence
What mastery looks like in real time, and how safety creates transformation
Why awareness is the starting point for self mastery
How foundational beliefs shape how you move through the world
“The world is dangerous” vs “I feel safe in it” and how both can be true
Why psychological skills training should be normal, not taboo
The difference between succeeding from fear and succeeding from love
How stories like “I’m not enough” can drive achievement and also cost you
Vulnerability as a leadership superpower, especially in high performance spaces
Rest, recovery, and why burnout culture is not a badge
The “permission slips” organisations need so people actually change behaviour
A practical relationship ritual that builds connection when life gets busy
Three first principles for inner mastery: extend your danger line, lean on relationships, and build psychological skills

We also explore:
How to recognise when your identity is running the show
Why self discovery feels hard, especially when you’re already overloaded
The real cost of protecting reputation over being present
How to build trust, with yourself and with your inner circle
Why mastery is available to everyday humans, not just champions

If you’ve been feeling like you’re capable of more but you keep hesitating, shrinking, or overthinking what people might think, this episode will help you understand why, and give you a framework to start expanding your life again.

And if you’re listening thinking, “I want to keep doing this work with support,” we share how you can join The Awake Collective for monthly coaching, accountability, community, and practical tools to help you apply what you’re learning.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we respond to a powerful listener question that so many people silently struggle with: why does rest feel lazy, selfish, or wrong… even when we know we need it?

A working mum of three writes in to share her guilt around slowing down, filling her own cup, and prioritising self-care without feeling like she’s letting everyone else down. Tess and Layne unpack why this guilt is so common, how it’s wired into our nervous system, and why constantly putting ourselves last can quietly lead to burnout, emotional overload, and disconnection.

This conversation dives deep into nervous system regulation, boundaries, breathwork, and the small daily practices that help us move out of fight-or-flight and back into presence, clarity and energy.

It’s practical, compassionate, and deeply relatable, especially if you’re feeling fried, wired, overwhelmed, or stuck on the hamster wheel.

In this episode, we talk about:
Why guilt around rest and self-care is so common, especially for women
How constantly putting others first can actually sabotage your wellbeing
The difference between the sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (rest) nervous systems
Early signs of burnout and nervous system overload
Why multitasking during rest stops it from being restorative
Creating clear work-life and role-based boundaries to show up more fully
Simple daily rituals that genuinely refill your cup
Why silence, stillness and micro-breaks matter more than productivity hacks
Breathwork as the fastest way to regulate your nervous system
Box breathing, physiological sighs, and slow exhales explained simply
Why eating lunch away from your desk is one of the bravest acts of self-care
The role of awe, nature and “touching green” in nervous system recovery
How moments of awe help you step off the hamster wheel
Creating a “love-to-do” list to reconnect with joy and energy
Why rest isn’t selfish, it’s what allows you to show up better for everyone

We also explore:
How to recognise when your nervous system is fried
Practical boundaries you can put in place today
Why scheduling and guarding rest is non-negotiable
How small, consistent resets prevent burnout long-term

If you’ve been feeling tired, overstimulated, guilty for resting, or like you’re constantly pushing through, this episode will help you understand what’s happening in your body and give you real tools to reset.

And if you’re listening thinking, “I need support with this,” we share how you can join The Awake Collective for monthly coaching, accountability, community, and practical tools to keep doing the work.

Connect with Awake
• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales
• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself
• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_
• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley
• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer
• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy
• Book us for a workshop – [email protected]
• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
• Sign up for A Wake Up Call for your weekly wake-up
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.