Summary:

In this reflective and grounding solo episode, I invite you to pause and take a powerful year-end inventory—one that goes beyond goals, metrics, and checklists. Inspired by the symbolism of the Year of the Snake, I explore what it really means to shed what no longer fits: outdated habits, misaligned roles, relationships, and identities that quietly drain our energy.

As I look ahead to the action-driven fire energy of 2026, I share personal reflections from my own life—including divorce, career shifts, and the intentional pauses I had to take along the way. This episode is a reminder that transformation isn’t about rushing forward—it’s about creating space so we don’t carry old baggage into new chapters.

If you’re standing on the edge of a new season and want to enter it with clarity instead of chaos, this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Leadership Requires Inventory, Not Just Intention

I believe real growth begins when we take stock of what we’ve outgrown—not just what we want next.

Audience follow-up → What did you carry through 2025 that no longer serves who you’re becoming?

Shedding Creates Space for Alignment

Like the snake, I’ve learned that leaders must release old skins to grow. Letting go creates the energetic and emotional room needed for transformation.

Audience follow-up → Where are you holding on out of habit instead of alignment?

Pause Before the Pivot

I share how major life changes in my own journey required intentional reflection—so I didn’t bring unresolved patterns into new beginnings.

Audience follow-up → What do you need to process before you move forward?

Harness the Energy of What’s Coming

The fire energy of 2026 calls for focus, action, and passion—but only after we’ve cleared what’s outdated.

Audience follow-up → What deserves your full energy next year—and what doesn’t?

Reflection Is a Leadership Skill

I don’t see reflection as passive—I see it as preparation. Leaders who pause and look inward lead with more clarity, purpose, and power.

Audience follow-up → How often do you intentionally slow down to reflect as a leader?

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode:

1. The symbolism of the Year of the Snake and the power of shedding
2. The energetic shift into 2026 and its fire-driven leadership theme
3. My personal reflections on divorce, career transitions, and intentional pauses
4. The practice of taking a year-end leadership inventory
5. 
   

✨ Reflection Prompts:

1. What did you release in 2025—by choice or by force?
2. What space did that release create in your life or leadership?
3. How do you want to feel as you step into the next season?
4. What must stay behind so you can move forward lighter?
5. 
   

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

1. Leaders navigating transition, endings, or new...

Summary:

In this heartfelt and joy-filled conversation, Lori sits down with longtime friend and leadership partner Christine Conroy to explore what it really means to lead with humanity. From Christine’s years at Coca-Cola to her current work at Grayston Bakery—home of the groundbreaking open hiring model—this episode is a powerful reflection on second chances, dignity at work, and leading with courage and compassion.

Together, Lori and Christine share personal stories about resilience, vulnerability, and building workplaces rooted in trust and purpose. As the holiday season approaches, they also reflect on gratitude, joy, and how leaders can stay grounded and hopeful—even in challenging seasons. This episode is a reminder that great leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence, empathy, and believing in people.

If you’re craving leadership that feels real, meaningful, and deeply human—this conversation is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Second Chances Change Everything

Christine shares how Grayston Bakery’s open hiring policy removes barriers and gives people the opportunity to rebuild their lives through meaningful work.

Audience follow-up → Where in your leadership could you create space for someone’s fresh start?

Vulnerability Is a Leadership Strength

True connection comes from leaders who are willing to be real, honest, and human—not just polished and perfect.

Audience follow-up → What would shift if you led your team with a little more openness?

Empathy Builds Stronger Partnerships

From corporate boardrooms to social enterprises, Christine and Lori discuss how empathy and mutual respect create lasting, impactful relationships.

Audience follow-up → How well do you really know the people you work with—and what they’re carrying?

Purpose Makes Work Matter

Christine reflects on the deep fulfillment that comes from aligning values with work, and how purpose-driven leadership fuels resilience.

Audience follow-up → Does your work reflect what matters most to you right now?

Joy Is a Practice—Especially in Hard Seasons

As the holidays approach, the conversation turns to gratitude, perspective, and choosing joy even when life feels heavy.

Audience follow-up → What’s one small way you can protect your joy this season?

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode:

1. Grayston Bakery & Open Hiring Model – A pioneering approach to employment rooted in dignity and opportunity
2. Christine’s Leadership Journey – From Coca-Cola to purpose-driven work
3. Mentors and Meaningful Relationships – Lessons from leaders like Mike Rizzo
4. Personal Stories of Friendship, Loss, and Growth

✨ Reflection Prompts:

1. Where have you seen the power of a second chance—either given or received?
2. How do you balance results with compassion as a leader?
3. What helps you reconnect to joy when leadership feels heavy?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

1. Leaders who want to lead with heart, not just authority
2. Executives...

Summary:

In this reflective and grounding solo episode of the Joy CEO Podcast, Lori Pine invites you into the quiet, liminal space between Christmas and New Year’s—a week that often feels suspended between what was and what’s next. Lori explores why this in-between time holds powerful potential for clarity, truth, and realignment.

Drawing inspiration from Elizabeth Gilbert’s concept of “not this,” Lori shares personal stories and gentle wisdom about listening to your inner knowing—especially when it whispers instead of shouts. This episode is an invitation to pause, release what no longer fits, and consciously step toward a more aligned version of yourself as you move into 2026.

If you’re craving space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters—this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

The Power of the Liminal Week

This quiet week isn’t meant for productivity—it’s meant for presence. Lori explains why the pause between years is a natural doorway for reflection and emotional honesty.

Audience follow-up → Where are you rushing when your soul is asking you to rest?

“Not This” as a Compass

Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert, Lori reframes clarity as knowing what you don’t want—without needing the full answer yet.

Audience follow-up → What feels like a clear “not this” in your life right now?

Personal Moments of Truth

Lori vulnerably shares her own “not this” realizations—moments when success, habits, or expectations no longer aligned with joy.

Audience follow-up → Where have you outgrown an old version of yourself?

Four Reflective Questions for the New Year

Instead of resolutions, Lori offers four grounding questions to help you enter 2026 with intention and self-trust.

Audience follow-up → Which question feels most alive for you—and why?

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode:

1. Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Not This” Concept – A powerful permission slip to release misalignment without forcing answers.
2. The idea of liminal space – That sacred in-between season where insight and clarity quietly emerge.

✨ Reflection Prompts:

1. What am I ready to let go of before stepping into the new year?
2. What truth have I been gently avoiding?
3. What would joy ask of me next?
4. How do I want to feel in 2026—not just what do I want to achieve?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

1. Leaders and professionals craving clarity without pressure
2. Women navigating transitions or quiet inner shifts
3. Anyone feeling called to slow down before starting again
4. Listeners who want to lead their life—and year—from alignment, not exhaustion

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Episode 31: Permission to Pause: A Christmas Eve Reflection for the Joy CEO

Summary:

In this gentle and reflective Holiday Special, I’m sharing a Christmas Eve message straight from the heart. This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and give yourself permission to feel whatever is present—joy, grief, gratitude, exhaustion, or a mix of it all.

I talk about the pressure we often place on ourselves to make the holidays “magical,” and why that expectation can disconnect us from what we actually need. Instead, I encourage you to ground yourself in the present moment, release the rules, and let this season look the way you need it to look.

This isn’t about doing more or being more—it’s about resting, reflecting, and offering yourself kindness. If this time of year feels tender, quiet, or complicated, this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Permission to Feel—Without Fixing

You don’t have to force joy or gratitude. Every emotion that shows up belongs.

Audience follow-up → What are you feeling right now if you let yourself be honest?

Grounding in the Present Moment

A simple pause and breath can bring you back to yourself when things feel heavy or overwhelming.

Audience follow-up → Where can you pause today, even for 30 seconds?

Letting Go of the “Perfect Holiday” Myth

The holidays don’t have to look a certain way to be meaningful.

Audience follow-up → What expectation can you release this season?

Finding Joy From the Inside Out

Joy doesn’t have to come from the calendar, the traditions, or the noise—it can come from within.

Audience follow-up → What brings you a sense of peace or steadiness right now?

Rest Is Not a Reward—It’s a Requirement

This season can be a time to rest, reflect, and reset without guilt.

Audience follow-up → How can you be a little gentler with yourself this week?

✨ Reflection Prompts:

1. What does “enough” look like for you this holiday season?
2. Where are you pushing when you could be resting?
3. What would it feel like to trust yourself to set your own rules?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

1. Anyone feeling overwhelmed or emotionally tender during the holidays
2. Leaders and high-achievers who struggle to slow down
3. Those craving a quieter, more meaningful end to the year
4. Anyone who needs permission to pause, breathe, and just be

🎄 Wishing you peace, presence, and self-compassion—today and always.

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation

1. Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO...

Summary:

In this reflective and energizing solo episode, I explore the transformative power of saying yes—not as people-pleasing or overcommitment, but as a grounded, intentional choice aligned with joy, growth, and purpose.

Through personal stories (including a yes that almost slipped away), I share how fear-driven default no’s can quietly limit our lives—and how conscious yeses can create real momentum in both business and life.

This episode is an invitation to examine what you might be saying no to out of habit, and what could be waiting for you on the other side of a brave, aligned yes.

If you’re craving expansion without burnout, and success that actually feels good—this episode is for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Saying Yes Isn’t About Doing More—It’s About Choosing Better

A powerful yes should energize you, not drain you. Lori reframes yes as discernment, not obligation.

Audience follow-up → Ask yourself: Does this opportunity expand me—or exhaust me?

Notice Your Default No’s

Many of our no’s are rooted in fear, doubt, or old stories—not truth. Awareness is the first step to change.

Audience follow-up → Where do you automatically say no without pausing to check in with yourself?

The Yes That Almost Got Away

Lori shares a vulnerable moment where hesitation nearly cost her a meaningful opportunity—and what it taught her about trust and timing.

Audience follow-up → Is there a yes you’ve been postponing because it feels uncomfortable?

Saying Yes Sometimes Requires Saying No

Aligned yeses require boundaries. Not every opportunity deserves your energy.

Audience follow-up → What do you need to say no to so you can fully say yes to what matters?

Support Makes the Yes Sustainable

Growth doesn’t happen alone. Coaching, community, and accountability turn yes into lasting momentum.

Audience follow-up → Who supports you when you step into something new?

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode:

Saying Yes to Being Seen – Choosing visibility even when it feels vulnerable

Support Systems & Coaching – Why expansion requires partnership

Focused Commitments – Fewer yeses, deeper impact

Joy as a Business Strategy – Aligning growth with fulfillment

✨ Reflection Prompts:

Where in your life are you playing small by saying no?

What would change if you trusted yourself to handle the yes?

How does joy show up when you choose courage over comfort?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

Entrepreneurs and leaders at a growth crossroads

High-achievers tired of saying yes out of obligation

Women ready to be seen, heard, and expanded

Anyone craving momentum, clarity, and joy in 2025

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation

• Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who’s navigating pressure and wants to do it with more grace

In this heartfelt and grounding episode, I open up about what the holiday season really brings forward—the joy, yes, but also the pressure, the expectations, and the feeling that we need to “perform” happiness. As the CEO of Joy, I’ve learned that real joy isn’t about perfect decorations, Pinterest-level gifting, or managing a holiday checklist—it’s about presence, connection, and emotional honesty.

I share some of my own stories about financial stress, over-giving, people-pleasing, and the moments when I felt pulled out of alignment with myself. These experiences shaped how I now approach the holidays with authenticity and intention.

If you’re craving a holiday season that feels calmer, more meaningful, and more you—this episode will meet you right where you are.

I talk about the emotional weight that comes with trying to create a “perfect holiday.” The truth? Joy grows when we stop performing and start being present.

Audience Follow-Up → Where are you performing joy instead of experiencing it?

I unpack the myth that generosity = expensive gifts. I share ten gifts that cost absolutely nothing—because generosity is about the heart behind it.

Audience Follow-Up → What’s one meaningful, zero-cost gift you could give someone this week?

The holidays pull at your time, emotions, and energy. I introduce a framework for protecting your joy so you don’t end the season exhausted or resentful.

Audience Follow-Up → Which boundary do you need to strengthen to protect your energy this season?

I explore the cultural shift away from material gifting—and why presence, stability, and emotional connection are the true holiday currencies.

Audience Follow-Up → Who in your life needs more of your presence rather than a wrapped gift?

I share personal stories of holiday struggle—from financial uncertainty to emotional heaviness—and how these moments ultimately helped me redefine joy for myself and for my family.

Audience Follow-Up → What past holiday experience shaped the way you show up today?

• 10 Gifts That Cost $0 – My list of meaningful, heartfelt gifts that require no money.
• Hula Hoop Holiday Reset Guide – A tool I created to help you stay centered, grounded, and aligned during the holiday chaos.
• My Personal Stories of Financial Pressure – How my own struggles reshaped my relationship with gifting and generosity.
• A Framework for Protecting Joy – The boundaries and practices I use each holiday season to stay present and emotionally healthy.

• Where am I overspending emotionally, financially, or energetically this season?
• What would a holiday defined by presence—not performance—look like for me?
• Which relationships need more of my time and heart right now?
• How can I simplify my holiday expectations without losing meaning?

• Leaders, parents, and caregivers feeling pressure to create the “perfect” holiday
• Anyone navigating financial stress or emotional overwhelm this season
• People craving a holiday experience built on authenticity, calm, and genuine joy
• Those who want practical, heartfelt tools to reset their mindset and energy

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In this honest and energizing solo episode, Lori invites you to explore the quiet (and not-so-quiet) nudges that tug at your heart—the ones you’ve been ignoring, postponing, or rationalizing away. She opens up about the fears she had to face in order to reinvent her life: leaving her corporate VP role, claiming the title “Joy CEO,” and launching this very podcast.

This episode is a practical and heartfelt guide for anyone standing on the edge of a decision—big or small—and feeling the tension between fear and purpose.

If you’re craving clarity, courage, or momentum as you close out the year, this conversation will give you exactly the push you’ve been waiting for.

Those persistent thoughts you keep circling back to? They’re not random. They’re invitations to grow, evolve, or take aligned action.

Lori breaks down the most common fears she sees in leaders and clients:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of judgment
• Fear of disappointing others

Recognizing them is the first step to disarming them.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s movement despite it. Lori shares deeply personal examples of the moments she took the leap before she felt ready.

Audience follow-up → What’s one decision you’ve been waiting to feel “ready” for?

While the world slows down, you can use December for reflection, recalibration, and intention-setting. It’s a powerful month to step back, listen inward, and prepare to leap.

Audience follow-up → How will you use these quieter weeks to align with what’s next?

Lori introduces a simple, repeatable process to help you respond to your nudge—even if fear is sitting beside you.

Audience follow-up → Consider one nudge you have right now. What’s the next tiny step?

• The Connect – Lori’s group coaching program for women leaders seeking clarity, confidence, and connection.
• Lori’s own transition story—from Corporate VP to Executive Coach & Joy CEO.
• The moment she claimed “Joy CEO” as her identity and let it guide her work.
• Her behind-the-scenes thoughts about launching this podcast.

• What nudge has been whispering to you lately?
• Where have fear and “what ifs” been holding you back?
• What small step could you take this week toward your inner knowing?
• How do you want to enter the new year—reactive or intentional?

• High achievers who overthink their next move
• Leaders craving clarity and more aligned action
• Women navigating career transitions
• Anyone who’s been “waiting to feel ready”
• Listeners who want to lead with more joy, courage, and authenticity

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation

• Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who’s navigating pressure and wants to do it with more grace

Summary:

In this heartfelt and reflective Thanksgiving conversation, I open up about what it really means to navigate the holidays with joy—especially during seasons of change, loss, or emotional heaviness. From the early days of creating new traditions like Cousins Thanksgiving to the quiet grounding rituals that helped me find my footing, I share the practices and perspectives that have kept me steady through some of my most tender holiday seasons.

This episode isn’t about picture-perfect holidays—it’s about finding presence, reclaiming meaning, and giving yourself permission to feel it all. Because joy isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s soft, simple, and built moment by moment.

If the holidays feel complicated for you this year—or you’re supporting someone who’s struggling—this episode is a warm place to land.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Joy Can Look Different Every Season

Holidays don’t always feel joyful, and that’s okay. You’re allowed to evolve and redefine what joy means for you right now.

Audience follow-up → Ask yourself: What would a gentle, honest version of joy look like for me this year?

New Traditions Can Hold Deep Healing

The creation of Cousins Thanksgiving became a turning point—a reminder that we can build something beautiful out of change.

Audience follow-up → What tradition could you start this year that honors where you are now?

Young Adults Need Hope, Not Pressure

Our kids and young adults carry so much unspoken weight. They need encouragement, not expectations.

Audience follow-up → Consider who in your life needs you to say: “I’m proud of you. You’re doing great.”

Gratitude Is a Grounding Practice, Not a Performance

Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about anchoring yourself in what’s real and steady.

Audience follow-up → Try this: list 3 things that make you feel safe, supported, or seen.

Your Experience Is Valid—Even If It's Not Festive

Some years hurt. Some years are beautiful. Most are both. Your emotions during the holidays don’t need to match anyone else’s.

Audience follow-up → What emotion has been sitting closest to you lately—and what is it asking for?

🔎 Mentioned in the Episode:

Cousins Thanksgiving — A tradition born from change that became a source of joy.

My grounding gratitude practice — A simple exercise I use when the holidays feel overwhelming.

Supportive conversations with young adults — How to offer hope during uncertain seasons.

Holiday reframing — Releasing the pressure to recreate the past and embracing what’s possible now.

✨ Reflection Prompts:

What parts of the holidays feel heavy for me—and what parts feel hopeful?

What expectations can I release this year?

How can I create a moment of joy that feels true to where I am right now?

Who in my life might need softness, support, or reassurance this season?

🧠 Who This Episode Is For:

Anyone navigating a complicated or emotional holiday season

Parents and caregivers supporting young adults through change

Individuals rebuilding traditions after loss or life transitions

Anyone craving grounding, calm, and authentic joy during the holidays

📩 Want to Go Deeper?

Follow Lori on LinkedIn to continue the conversation

Book a Leadership Strategy Call with Lori: loripine.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Joy CEO Podcast

⭐️ Leave a review to help other heart-centered leaders find the show

📲 Share this episode with someone who’s navigating pressure and wants to do it with more grace