The Balance Theory

What if the reason you feel constantly busy, overwhelmed, or pulled in every direction is because you’re saying yes to the wrong things?

In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Christine Assouad - author, serial entrepreneur, investor on Shark Tank Lebanon, and founder behind multiple ventures including Dunkin’ Lebanon and Semsom. She has mentored thousands of women across the Middle East and beyond and recently released her book The Power to Say Yes, which explores how learning to say yes to yourself can transform your life and career.

In this conversation, Christine shares what she has learned from mentoring thousands of women, why so many ambitious people struggle with guilt and overcommitment, and how to become intentional about where your time, energy, and attention go.

This episode dives into the tension between being capable and feeling obliged, why energy management matters more than time management, and how to start designing a life aligned with what actually matters to you.

What We Cover

• Why so many people say yes to everyone except themselves


• The hidden difference between being capable and feeling obligated


• The Wheel of Life exercise to understand what truly matters
• Why many ambitious women feel burnt out despite doing everything “right”


• The importance of energy management, not just time management


• How saying yes to one opportunity can shape an entirely different life path


• Why guilt often holds people back from pursuing what they want


• The smallest “yes” you can start with today to reclaim control of your life

This episode could be the one that powerfully changes your life. Make sure to share it with a friend if someone came to mind during the episode!

CONNECT

📸 Instagram

📚 The Power to Say YES!

TIME STAMPS

(00:34) Introduction

(03:16) Saying Yes to Everyone But Yourself

(04:33) What Foundation Do We Need To Build?

(10:04) Wheel of Life Exercise

(15:49) Hardest YES You’ve Given

(19:58) Being Capable v Obliged

(22:59) Energy Management

(26:43) Being an Entrepreneur v. Careerist

(31:20) Running 3 Iterations of Your Life

(34:35) How to Dream Without Being Ungrateful?

(38:37) Why a Monk Can’t Understand Guilt

(43:02) What’s the Smallest YES Someone Can Start With Today?

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

⭐ Substack

🧡 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!

What if the version of you that feels stuck, behind, or embarrassed about your past… is actually standing at the beginning of something powerful?

In this episode, I sit down with Crazy Auntie Ann, who went from alcoholism and rock bottom to 3M+ followers on TikTok, not by trying to go viral, but by finally becoming herself.

We talk about what it really means to stop caring what people think, how to reinvent yourself at any age, and why surrender, not willpower, changed her life forever.

This is a conversation about identity, confidence, sobriety, self-forgiveness, and starting again.

If you’ve ever felt:

* Like you’re behind in life

* Like you wasted years

* Like it’s “too late” to change

* Or like you’ve been living for other people.

💬 One of My Favourite Moments: “It’s not about winning or self-control. It’s about defeat.”

That surrender became the beginning of everything for Ann.

This episode is for you.

LINKS

💆‍♀️ ⁠COZY EARTH⁠ - Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off ⁠HERE⁠ (I’m currently loving their comforters to enhance deep sleep)!

💨 AIR DOCTOR - Use code “ERIKA” to get $300 off: https://airdoctorpro.com

📸 I⁠⁠nstagram⁠⁠

TIME STAMPS

(01:53) Introduction

(07:41) Why did u start making TikToks?

(11:13) Why did you set your content?

(15:48) What advice would you give to creators?

(17:53) I haven’t always been confident

(18:59) The Cream Bun Theory

(23:44) Alcohol Addiction

(26:53) Rock bottom

(32:10) How did you forgive yourself?

(39:46) What did you become after sobriety?

(44:25) How did your family respond to your growing fame?

(48:14) How did you find your passion so late in life?

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

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - ⁠⁠Sunsama for 1 Month free trial

From making just $300 a day in her early bakery days to raising $25 million in venture capital and expanding from local to global, this growth story is extraordinary. But this conversation isn’t just about numbers.

It’s about what happens when success comes fast.

In this episode of The Balance Theory, I’m joined by Brooki, founder of Brooki Bakehouse, for her first ever podcast interview.

We talk about the identity work that needs to happen before growth, the trade-offs that come with scaling a business publicly, and how to build something big without losing who you are. Because success doesn’t build your character, it reveals it.

In this episode, we unpack:
* How Brooki went from $300 days to raising $25M+
* The single decision that changed the trajectory of her business
* What it really felt like when everything started snowballing
* The reality of building a brand in public
* How she handles scrutiny and criticism
* The trade-offs of growing a global business while raising young children
* Why becoming a mum became her superpower, not a setback
* How to grow without losing yourself
* Why you need to build yourself before you build success

If you’re ambitious, building something, navigating change, or stepping into a new level of life, this episode will shift how you think about growth.

Because the real question isn’t how to succeed.
It’s who you become along the way.

Subscribe for more conversations on ambition, mindset, identity and building a life that feels aligned.

#Brooki #FemaleFounder #EntrepreneurMindset #VentureCapital #WomenInBusiness #PersonalGrowth #TheBalanceTheory #StartupJourney #WorkingMum #BuildingInPublic

LINKS

💆‍♀️ ⁠COZY EARTH⁠ - Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off ⁠HERE⁠ (I’m currently loving their comforters to enhance deep sleep)!

💧 AQUATRU Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off at https://www.aquatru.com

📸 I⁠⁠nstagram⁠⁠

TIME STAMPS
(01:54) Introduction
(07:15) How I Got To Know Myself
(16:19) What Made You Start Your First Bakery?
(23:27) How Did You Meet your Husband?
(26:31) When did you Realise It Was going to be Bigger than a Local Bakery?
(30:14) This Single Decision Shaped the Trajectory of My Business
(32:17) What Was your Dream When You Opened The Bakery?
(37:12) What Did You Struggle With Behind the Veil of Success?
(43:54) The Reality of Being a Working Mum
(55:50) Trade Offs You Have To Make in Life
(1:00:57) How do You Stay Confident When Your Integrity Is Questioned Publicly?
(01:09:28) Securing $25 Million in VC Funding
(01:15:19) What Has Been the Biggest Shift For You Being Local to Global

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

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - ⁠⁠Sunsama for 1 Month free trial

What if the reason positive thinking hasn’t worked for you… isn’t because you’re doing it wrong, but because no one ever showed you how your mind actually listens?

In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Marisa Peer, and we go far beyond motivation or feel-good affirmations. This is a practical, step-by-step breakdown of how the words you use, especially the ones you say to yourself, directly shape your self-worth, confidence, and the reality you experience.

We talk about why so many people know what they should think, yet still feel stuck… why saying “I’m trying” quietly reinforces failure… and how subtle language patterns can either work with your brain or cause it to push back entirely.

If you’ve ever:
* Felt like you’re “doing the work” but nothing is changing
* Struggled with feeling not enough, even when life looks good on paper
* Tried affirmations that felt fake or forced
* Wondered whether you can really have it all, career, health, relationships, fulfilment
…this conversation will land.

Marisa shares the exact phrases, sentence structures, and mindset shifts that actually create change, including one powerful sentence you can start using today to rebuild self-worth and self-trust.

This is an episode you may want to listen to twice, not because it’s complex, but because it’s precise.

LINKS

💆‍♀️ COZY EARTH - Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off HERE (I’m currently loving their comforters to enhance deep sleep)!

📸 I⁠nstagram⁠

Marisa Peer's I am Enough Book - ⁠https://marisapeer.com/marisa-peer-books/⁠

Marisa Peer's Free Gifts - ⁠https://marisapeer.com/free-gifts/⁠

TIME STAMPS

(03:17) Can we have it all?
(06:21) Did you always believe you could have it all?
(10:26) How do we actually use our thinking to change our reality
(12:25) Surviving Cancer
(14:02) Crafting your phrases for success
(17:34) How to like yourself more
(24:13) Are you making someone else’s story, yours?
(27:07) Tools for kids to instil skills
(27:15) Is work-life balance a myth?
(35:24) Is AI being used as therapy a bad thing?
(39:51) Start saying this one sentence to yourself TODAY

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

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - ⁠Sunsama for 1 Month free trial

In this episode, we explore what self-respect actually means, beyond confidence, beyond success, beyond applause.

For years, today’s guest chased respect externally, having thoughts like:
If you liked me, I liked me. If you approved, I felt safe.

But as she shares, that way of living slowly disconnects you from yourself. I’m joined by Dr Katherine Iscoe to unpack:

• Why people-pleasing is often rooted in the “fawn” trauma response

• How you might be subtly trading yourself away in everyday moments

• The restaurant “steak” example that reveals more than you think

• How to audit your calendar to see if you truly respect yourself

• Why boundaries aren’t just with other people, they’re with yourself

• How overthinking steals years of your life

• The difference between chasing happiness and building self-respect

• What it actually looks like to make decisions from self-respect

Self-respect isn’t loud.It isn’t aggressive.It isn’t about becoming selfish.

It’s about choosing yourself in small, daily ways, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Because the truth is, confidence might get you in the room... but self-respect is what keeps you standing tall.

If you’ve ever felt like:
* You say yes too often
* You overthink simple decisions
* You care more about others’ opinions than your own
* You don’t feel fully like yourself anymore

This episode is for you.

The life you want doesn’t start with more discipline. It starts with self-respect.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

📸 Instagram

Dr Katherine Iscoe's book - https://www.drkatherine.com/self-respect-playbook

Dr Katherine Iscoe Website - https://www.drkatherine.com

TIME STAMPS

(01:50) Introduction
(05:40) Taking back ownership over your life
(09:29) Obvious Ways you are trading yourself away
(14:43) First time you felt proud of yourself
(17:37) Self Respect Zones
(21:49) Does your calendar show you respect yourself?
(25:58) Top Skills for Mastering your Self Respect
(29:11) Advice for people to move into self respect
(31:57) Resilience vs Abandon ship
(36:25) Leaving CEO Role
(39:27) How do I make decisions with self respect?
(44:19) Why do we lose momentum?
(49:17) Define Self Respect

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

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - Sunsama for 1 Month free trial