The Balance Theory

You do not need to be the obvious person to build something real.

In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Aimee Smale, founder of Odd Muse and 29 year old millionaire, to unpack the story nobody tells about building something from nothing. Not the strategy, not the business plan, not the perfect moment. The quiet, unassuming journey of someone who was never supposed to do this and did it anyway.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking:

"I don't think I'm the right type of person for this"

"I don't have a clear path or a blueprint to follow"

"I've been waiting to feel ready but that moment never comes"

"I look at successful people and assume they had something I don't"

"I have an idea but I don't know where to start"

Then this episode is for you. In this conversation, Erika and Aimee cover:

- Why being shy and timid did not stop her and why it does not have to stop you either

- The mindset to go all in on yourself even if you cannot quit your job tomorrow

- How to reframe sacrifice so it stops feeling like something you are losing

- The version of yourself you have to let go of to build something new

- What to do when you have everything you worked for and still do not feel happy

- How she handled negativity online and why the people leaving comments do not actually exist in her world

- Why she stopped sharing the things she actually cared about and what changed

- The moment she nearly walked away from everything she built

- What she would say to day one Aimee knowing everything she knows now

- How to know when something needs to change even if you are not ready to admit it

You do not need the path, the blueprint or the confidence. You just need to start.

SPONSORS:

✨ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JONES ROAD⁠ BEAUTY ⁠- Use the code 'BALANCE' at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Gift with your first purchase! #JonesRoadBeauty #ad
💧⁠AQUATRU -⁠ Use the code 'SHERIKA' at www.aquatru.com for a 20% off

✨ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JONES ROAD ⁠- Use the code 'BALANCE' at www.jonesroad.com for a free gift.

💧AQUATRU - Use the code 'SHERIKA' at www.aquatru.com for a 20% off

CONNECT

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIMESTAMP

(0:00) Introduction
(05:26) You need time to stretch out an idea
(07:51) I didn't wake up that day thinking I was going to quit
(13:39) Mindset to go all in on yourself (without quitting your job)
(15:46) Is sacrifice always a bad thing?
(24:04) How to reach the Promise Land?
(30:35) What version of you did you have to let go of?
(33:53) Hiring is like dating
(36:15) Negative people online don't exist in my mind
(40:25) How have your friendships been impacted by your success?
(42:13) I refrain from sharing this online for some reason
(49:51) How did you get into investing?
(52:29) When would it no longer be worth it for you to have the business?
(56:41) Who is Aimee becoming?

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📱⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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You already know what you do. But do you know who you are?

In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Rahaf Kobeissi, mental health and mindset expert, published author, and keynote speaker, to unpack one of the most quietly common experiences of high achieving people, building a life that looks right on paper and still feeling like something essential is missing. This isn't another conversation about doing more or optimising your routine. It is about stripping back everything you have built to find the person underneath it all.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking:

"I have everything I worked for, so why do I still feel empty?"

"I don't know who I am outside of what I do"

"I keep achieving things and none of it feels like enough"

"Something feels off but I genuinely cannot explain what"

"I feel like I am just going through the motions of a life I built on autopilot"

Then this episode is for you. In this conversation, Erika and Rahaf cover:

- Why high achievers still feel like something is missing even after reaching their goals

- How to find your real identity when your whole life has been built around what you do

- The signs you are disconnected from yourself and do not even know it

- Why you have been introducing yourself by your job title and what to say instead

- The fine line between doing things to achieve versus doing things for yourself

- How to know whose goals you are actually chasing

- What to remove from your life before you even think about adding more

- How Human Design can help you understand yourself in a practical way

- Whether a relationship can survive when one person is growing faster than the other

- How to know if you are lost or just in a transition, and the one question that tells you

The real you is not lost. They are just waiting to be found.

CONNECT

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💻 Website

TIME STAMPS

(00:00) Introduction
(06:05) How do we find our real identity (behind our title)
(10:23) Use this icebreaker at work
(11:43) Watch out for these signs that show you're disconnected
(16:06) Fine line between doing to achieve versus for yourself
(22:42) Detach from the outcome
(28:07) Who's goal is your goal?
(30:04) Human Design: how it can explain you in a useful way
(44:48) Can relationships survive couples independently changing?
(49:49) A healthy relationship will trigger you, watch for THIS
(57:40) Marriage isn't hard, life is
(1:00:20) Learning through my trigger
(1:03:36) How do you know if you're lost or just in a transition?

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📱⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Dr Shefali, a NYT bestselling author and the world's leading conscious parenting psychologist, joins Erika to unpack the childhood patterns running your adult life, and how to stop them here.
This isn't another conversation about how to be a better parent. It's about understanding the difference between who you became by default and who you actually want to be.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking:

"Why does this keep happening to me no matter what I do?"
"I know my past affected me but I don't know how much"
"I keep reacting in ways I don't understand and I don't know why"
"I've been waiting for someone to say sorry so I can finally move on"
"I don't want to repeat what was done to me but I don't know how to stop"

Then this episode is for you. In this conversation, Erika and Dr Shefali cover:

- Why we absorb our parents' patterns without ever choosing to, and how to recognise them in yourself
- At what point your childhood stops being an explanation and starts being a choice
The illusion of closure and why you don't need anyone else to give it to you
- How to give yourself what your parents never did
- What conscious parenting actually means and why it starts with you, not your child
- The live coaching moment where Dr Shefali unpacks Erika's own trigger in real time
- Why the critical voice in your head has your parent's voice, and what to do about it
- How to talk to a parent who isn't conscious without losing yourself
- Why boys and girls need to be raised differently in a world of algorithms and social media
- Where the line is between sharing your child online and using them for content

The patterns stop here. And this conversation is where it starts.
Some things stay with you long after a conversation ends. This is one of them.

CONNECT

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIME STAMPS

(00:00) Introduction
(04:26) Finding yourself after becoming a mother
(08:50) Dr Shefali on when she became a mother
(11:57) When does our childhood stop becoming insight and start becoming an excuse?
(14:45) How to get closure from your parents (if you can't speak to them)
(16:37) What is Conscious Parenting?
(20:07) Can you speak to your parents about being more conscious?
(24:14) Dr Shefali gives Erika parenting advice on a trigger
(34:04) What do we say and do when we are triggered?
(37:49) Don't recruit your child in your own movie
(39:06) Why do we need to raise sons and daughters differently?
(42:56) The line between sharing your child online and using your child for content

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📱⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🧡 This description may contain affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're not bad with money. It's just that nobody ever taught you how to actually relate to it, and this conversation changes that.

In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Carol Glynn, award-winning Finance Coach & Mentor, Chartered Accountant (FCA) and founder of Conscious Finance Coaching, to unpack why so many women feel stuck with money, not because they're doing it wrong, but because they were never given the right tools.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking:
"I know I should look at my bank account, but I just can't bring myself to do it"
"I've tried budgeting a hundred times and it never sticks"
"I'm doing well on paper but it doesn't feel that way inside"
"I feel like everyone else got the money playbook except me"
"I earn decent money, so why does it just disappear?"

Then this episode is for you. In this conversation, Erika and Carol cover:
- What conscious finance means and why it's the missing piece in your money journey
- The signs you're unconscious with money, and why most high-achieving women are
- Why your money mindset, not your spreadsheet, is always the place to start
- The 50-30-20 rule explained simply and how to use it without feeling restricted
- How to find your money values and align every spending decision with them
- What most people dangerously misunderstand about credit card debt
- The hidden cost of being financially uninformed and how it quietly compounds
- How to talk about money in your relationship without it turning into a fight
- What money means differently to men and women, and why it matters
- The one practical thing to do in the next 24 hours to shift your relationship with money

Your relationship with money changes everything. And it starts here.

SPONSORS:

💧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AQUATRU⁠ ⁠- Get 20% off using the code 'ERIKA' at www.aquatru.com

CONNECT

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠

TIME STAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(2:51) What is conscious finance?

(08:45) Signs you are unconscious with money

(13:37) Start doing this to fix your relationship with money

(17:13) How do you change feeling to money when you don't feel abundant

(19:24) 50-20-30 rule to sort finances

(23:25) How to find money values

(27:55) The most expensive thing you can be is uninformed

(28:25) What most people don't understand about credit cards and debt

(37:12) Do this for the next 24 hours

(39:20) Look at finances in your relationship (by doing this)

(44:01) Surprising client story with money

(50:23) How do you know when it's time to look at money again?

(53:48) REVEAL: What money means to men versus women

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠⁠⁠⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠⁠⁠⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠⁠⁠⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

📱⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠

🧡 This description may contain affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've been doing the work. Reading, listening, growing, trying. And yet something keeps feeling off, like the life you're building is quietly being pulled in a direction you didn't choose.

In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, bestselling author of Solve for Happy and Scary Smart, and one of the most original thinkers on the planet. This isn't a conversation about productivity or optimisation. It's about something deeper: the invisible forces shaping who you are, how you think, and what you believe is possible, and how to take that back.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking:

"I feel like I'm losing time but I don't know where it's going"

"Something feels off but I can't name it"

"I don't feel as in control of my life as I want to be"

"I want to feel more like myself again"

"I'm not sure what's actually true anymore"

WHAT WE COVER:

The unconscious daily decisions quietly costing you years of your life

Why your life is being hijacked and how to see it clearly

How long-form content protects your emotional intelligence

Mo's framework for knowing what is actually true in the news

How to move from passive observer to someone who actually makes change

The flip flop deep technique for consuming information consciously

The difference between a good man and a nice man

A powerful 30-minute brain exercise Mo does every day

Whether AI is a threat or the greatest opportunity humanity has ever had

How to raise conscious humans in an AI world

Why utopia might only be 10 years away

Mo Gawdat doesn't just name the problem. He gives you the tools to reclaim your mind, your time, and who you're becoming.

SPONSORS:


✨ONESKIN⁠ ⁠⁠- Save 15% Off using the code 'BALANCE' by going to www.oneskin.co/BALANCE

💧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AQUATRU ⁠- Get 20% off using the code 'SHERIKA' at www.aquatru.com

🩷 MOMENTUM - Get your free welcome kit and travel collection at www.momentumshake.com/balancetheory

CONNECT

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠

Mo Gawdat Part 1:

🎥 Watch here.

TIME STAMPS

(00:00) Introduction
(11:21) Decisions that cost you time
(17:19) Your life is being hijacked by this
(26:26) Long form is better for your emotions
(29:31) How do we make sense of what's true in the news?
(40:55) How to actually make change (you matter)
(49:40) Flip flop deep technique for consuming news
(56:17) Good man versus nice man
(59:57) Watch THESE words
(1:03:34) Do this POWERFUL exercise for your mind
(1:15:08) Is AI going to destroy our future?
(1:21:58) Raising Superman
(1:27:29) How do you put in guardrails with AI?
(1:43:59) AI will take over all jobs

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠⁠⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠⁠⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠⁠⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠⁠⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

📱⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠

🧡 This description may contain affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

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