Strengthening self-leadership for lasting high performance and a calmer life balance | Personal & professional growth | Great leadership begin from within | 25 years in Comms & Leadership

Many women in leadership come to a point where the load grows faster than their capacity to carry it. 

Patience thins, confusion grows and you end up doing more and more… while feeling less and less like yourself.

I’m a leadership coach for emotionally intelligent women in demanding roles: 
The steady one, the strong one, the calm and capable one everyone relies on.

...all while you feel exhausted and find yourself wondering:

“Why am I this tired when I’m doing everything right?”
“How do I lead in a way that doesn’t drain me?”

I help you strengthen your self-leadership from the inside out — with boundaries, courage and practical tools — so you can lead in a way that feels grounded and genuinely YOU. This means doing the right things, for the right reasons, having energy left at the end of the day. 

Here are 3 ways we can work together:

I. Individual coaching or mentoring
Tailored support based on your needs, or my 7-week program for strengthening your mental, emotional and physical capacity.

II. Group program
Ledarprogrammet Perspeqtiv: a small-group leadership program for women leaders, on site in Malmö (Swedish).

Boundary Bootcamp: a 2 week challenge to help you set (and hold!) strong, clear boundaries and start prioritising yourself again. 

III. For teams & organisations
Team and leadership development, workshops and lectures.
Best discussed in conversation 🤓

With me, you get:
🌱 Grounded, research-backed methods blending coaching, neuroscience and emotional intelligence
🌱 A structured, warm space to reflect, grow and take real action
🌱 A certified ICF coach committed to your long-term capacity, not quick performance hacks

Based in Sweden. 
Working globally.
Languages: Swedish & English.

DM me to book a call — let’s chat!

Annika Mohlin 🌱

Ikväll är det gala-dags✨

Nominerad kandidat nr 7… det är jag det!

Så fint det känns. Stolt och glad över att lyftas fram som en kvinna som lyfter andra kvinnor 💛

Och jag är i gott sällskap: 13 andra nominerade som också gör skillnad – på sitt sätt, i sina sammanhang, för sina kvinnor. En ynnest att få vara med i ett sånt gäng. Något jag vill fira!

Hela Empower Her-galan firar och boostar kvinnor i alla åldrar, och det viktiga arbetet som görs för kvinnors ledarskap, hälsa och hållbarhet. Så häftigt - tack för att ni ordnar LIW Association Alexandra – för kvinnor & hälsa och @CC.Lifeboost

Jag ser fram emot att inspireras, mingla och fylla på med go energi. Det lär vankas bubbel och glitter också... som sig bör på gala, tänker jag ✨

Ska du dit?
Kom förbi mitt kontor på ett glas bubbel innan! 🥂

Vi ses Camilla Ekholst Jenny Ahlqvist De Souza Anna-Maria Lundgren Birgitta Manders Susanne Hindsö Ljunggren Elin Perttu - och vem mer?

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Talks about #coaching, #selfcare, #leadership, #communication, and #mediarelations

LIW Association

Alexandra – för kvinnor & hälsa

CEO Ledarskapskraft

⭐️ Dedicated leader with a passion for service and sales. I strive to contribute to the success of the organization. ⭐️

Kommunikationsspecialist | Internkommunikation | Medarbetarengagemang | Företagskultur | Projektledare | Externkommunikation | Marknadsföring | Verksamhetsstöd | Kommunikatör | Problemlösare | Relationsbyggare

Project Coach | Project Coordinator | Coach in transition and migration work | Project Manager | Trainer | Communications | Business Support | Sales | Contract Management | Business Support | Problem Solver

Tryckeriet från idé till wow. Kreativa. Personliga. Pålitliga.

Empowering People Leading Change | Organizational Change Management | Leadership Development | Training & Facilitation | Keynote & Guest Speaking

I help good girls become confident leaders of themselves and their teams | Coach for people-pleasers and perfectionists done being the good girl | Nästa grupp Ledarprogrammet Perspeqtiv startar februari 2026 🔭

Kolla dessa cheferna.
Första gruppen någonsin i Ledarprogrammet Perspeqtiv.

I fredags sågs vi för sjätte och sista gången. Då hyllade vi de kliv som var och en tagit under programmets tio månader. Både de egna och varandras.

För vi snackar KLIV, inte steg.

Det blir så i en liten, tajt grupp där man vågar lyssna inåt och tänka högt.

🎉Vi hyllade mod.
🎉Vi hyllade att stå i sina värderingar.
🎉Vi hyllade att våga utmana, att experimentera utan att veta hur det ska gå.

Jag är så stolt över dessa chefer, vår allra första "kull".

Jag är också stolt över att Elin och jag vågade säga "JA, vi kör”. Ibland vet man bara att något är rätt. Och då ska man köra.

Grattis till ”examen” Anna Wickholm Anna Assarsson Renée Sibolt Camilla Brink Schütz Tove Svärd Helene Jensen Vanja Söderblom och vi ses på julmingel i eftermiddag. Tillika första träffen med Nätverket Perspeqtiv ✨

🔭 Leder du andra och vill utvecklas i ditt ledarskap tillsammans med andra kvinnliga chefer? Då kan Perspeqtiv vara rätt plats.

💌 Sugen på att vara med? Hör av dig till mig eller Elin.
♻️ Känner du någon som borde veta om det här? Dela gärna vidare. Tack!

I help female leaders lead and succeed without self-compromising • Lead with boundaries and energy ​>​> leave the good girl behind ​• Nästa grupp i Ledarprogrammet Perspeqtiv startar februari 2026 🔭

How a red shirt helps me overcome self-doubt.
(a tip for all the good girls out there)

Research repeatedly shows that women carry far more of this than men:

Nasty thoughts sneaking up on us to tell us we’re 
> not good enough
> not smart enough
> not worthy of taking up space

Call them self-doubts or limiting beliefs — 
they’re ugly and paralyzing either way.

When those thoughts visit me, I know my confidence might shiver... which will change how I show up.

Enter: 
My red training shirt.
The one I wear when I lead my workout classes.

The gym floor is an arena where I feel fully confident.

I’ve been an instructor for 25 years. I know I’m good at it — and when I’m in that role, there's a certain energy and a certain vibe. A strong one.

So I visualize putting on that red shirt... 
...and with it, I shift myself into that energy. 

👊 Boom. I can do anything again.

✍🏼Tell me: what’s your “red shirt”, if you have one?
(If you don't, look in the comments and I'll guide you)

PS. If you like my content, I also have a newsletter: 
https://lnkd.in/dExxZiqj

No alternative text description for this image

“I want to do this workshop every year.”
 
That's what a woman told me some weeks after doing my "design-the-new-year" workshop. 

It meant a lot that she said it — still makes me smile 😊
 
The good news?  
I 𝘥𝘰 run this workshop every year!  

More than 400 women have done it online already — many of them coming back again and again, to create a new, updated roadmap. 

Because what we do works. 

Every now and then women message me (or tell me, if I meet them) that they've reached a milestone or ticked something off that came to them during this workshop. 

Last week I opened registration for the 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹'𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻.

In only 90 minutes, you’ll set your direction and craft a roadmap with the actions so that you can make 2026 a year with you firmly in the driver’s seat.

It’s free. It’s in English.  
You don’t have to speak — just show up and follow my guidance. Your roadmap is yours only. 

🗓️ Tuesday, January 6
⏰ 13.00-14.30 CET
💻 Online on Teams
🌟 Free to join

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dwaT_m3n

PS. I share the recording with all registered, so if you want to join but timing is bad — you can still do it on your own. 

📸 I run this workshop both online and IRL. Last Thursday I led it live at Börsdamerna. Thanks for having me!

This week it started. 

Someone mentioned Christmas gifts.
Another said her Christmas stress is ramping up. 

Soon all activities around school, sports, shows and concerts start lining up.... 

November and December are hectic. 

Sooo much that needs to be done and delivered.... 
You can feel it, right? 

But saying you don’t have time to take care of yourself,
is like saying you’re too busy driving to stop for gas.

To all busy, loyal, hardworking good girls who hold everything (and everyone) together:

If you want to feel less stressed, have more energy and actually enjoy the parts of life that matter most to you... 
...but feel you can't afford taking a break... 

...where will you end up? (hint: burnt out)

> Working more hours won’t make you less busy.
> Going nonstop won’t make you more productive.
> Saying YES to do more tasks won't create more hours in a day.

Just like stopping for gas is important,
so is stopping to recharge yourself. 

Even when life is busy.
E s p e c i a l l y when life is busy. 

If you read this and feel:
—Tired
—Tired of feeling tired
—Guilty taking time to rest 
—Constantly in production mode
—"I just have to finish this little thing too" 

>>> You need to stop for gas. NOW.

PS. I know that you know this already. And sometimes it's helpful with a little reminder 💛

PPS. If you like my content, I also have a newsletter: 
https://lnkd.in/dExxZiqj

It takes a village to raise a child, they say. 
Mine raised a very good girl. 

I learnt how to fit in long before I learnt how to be me. 

I'm done with those edits. 
The coming chapters look different.

Making a Good Girl

I thought I was being helpful.
It turned out I was standing in the way.

For a long time, I believed good leadership meant having the answers and always being available. 

That fixing things was the same as supporting. That stepping in with a solution was the best help. That getting back on track quickly was development. 

Until one day. 

A team member was stuck and came to ask about something. I immediately saw how we could solve it. It was simple – but I didn’t have the time to explain. 

So instead I asked: "What are your thoughts?"

Silence. I went back to what I was doing.

A little later, my colleague returned – with a plan. 
And it was better than mine 🌟 

I think that’s when it hit me.

Every time I stepped in to “help,” I was taking something away: 
> the belief in their own ability 
> the satisfaction of figuring it out yourself 
> the growth that comes from handling challenges

I was taking away opportunities to grow 😬

So I started doing things in a different way. Challenging and uncomfortable at first, no doubt: 

> I held back my answers
> Asked better (and more) questions
> Got more comfortable with being uncomfortable
> And resisted the urge to step in as some kind of problem-solving superhero (difficult for good girls like me) 

I learnt that I didn't have to carry everything. And I certainly didn't have to carry them. 

My version of being a helpful leader was my bad good girl stepping in. 

The real growth – for both me and the team – came when I started unlearning that.

Curious: what's a leadership lesson you've learnt from being "in it"?

“Next year will be different.”

I’ll slow down. I’ll start saying no. I’ll prioritise myself more.

Don’t know how many Decembers I’ve said that to myself.
And then… life happened:

High expectations, fully-packed calendar, delivering results, kids to activities, oh gosh any dinner ideas anyone…?

And oupppss I was back in the familiar good-girl-loop of being everything for everyone — except myself.

For me, it took a burnout to realise and change how I lead myself. 
I don’t want it to get that far for you. 
I want you to fast-track your learning and make better choices, sooner than I did. 

Let me help you a little bit: 
On January 6 I’ll run one of my favourite workshops.

✨ The Bad Good Girl’s 2026 Plan ✨

In this (free) workshop, you’ll
> Get clear on what matters to you: what you need, want and long for in 2026.
> Create a personal roadmap that puts you on the priority list (right where you belong BTW).
> Learn how to create more space for wellbeing, rest and a life you enjoy — without dropping your ambition.

Make 2026 the year you choose, not just cope.

Next year will be different 💪🏼

✍🏼 Registration is now open — comment "DIFFERENT" if you want to join.

Hope to see you there!

Sara Escobar, Johanna Birkfeldt and 126 other attendees

View event: The Bad Good Girl’s 2026 Plan

We leak a lot of energy trying to control what we can’t.

Like the November weather. 
And the 'emotional weather' of others: 

> How people react
> Whether someone’s disappointed
> Predicting needs before they’re spoken

This is classic bad good girl behaviour:

Working overtime in places where our influence is exactly.... zero.

Like unpaid ’emotional meteorologists’. 

I write about this in today's newsletter. 

Enjoy your weekends everyone!

November is… special, isn’t it? Not in the magical way — more in the damp, dark, “why is the sky made of wet wool?” kind of way. Not my favourite mont

Open article: A Bad Good Girl's Take on November by Annika Mohlin 🌱 • 2 min read

Varför vänder ni er bara till kvinnor?

Det är en av frågorna vi brukar få om Ledarprogrammet Perspeqtiv.

Svaret:
Så länge det ser ut som det gör i företagsledningar och bolagsstyrelser vill vi göra vad vi kan för att boosta och stärka kvinnliga ledare.

Perspeqtiv är förstås bara en pusselbit bland många. 

Ett mer jämställt och emotionellt intelligent samhälle kräver dialog och förändring på flera nivåer. Vi fokuserar på att stötta kvinnor i att stärka sitt ledarskap och sin kapacitet, samtidigt som vi hejar på alla – kvinnor och män – som driver utvecklingen från andra håll.

Vi brukar få fler frågor: 

— Behöver man ha direktrapporterande för att vara med?
— Gör ni Perspeqtiv på engelska?
— Hur länge ska man ha varit chef? 
— Tänker ni starta en online-grupp någon gång?
— Kan ni köra det här programmet inhouse bara för oss?

Bläddra i dokumentet om du är nyfiken på svaren 🤓

📅 Vi startar 3 nya grupper under 2026, den första i februari. Platserna har börjat gå åt. 
💌 Sugen på att vara med? Hör av dig till mig eller Elin på DM eller i mail.

Allt du skulle vilja veta om Perspeqtiv, men varit för skraj att fråga om

”Jag har varit chef i drygt två år. Det är först nu som jag känner mig som en ledare.”

Helene hade sitt team utspritt över hela Sverige och dåligt samvete för att hon inte räckte till.

”Jag vill vara en närvarande ledare. Men hur är jag det på distans?”

Det var utmaningen hon tog med sig till Perspeqtiv. Engagerad, nyfiken och trött på att försöka vara överallt samtidigt.

Ganska snart insåg Helene hur hon kan vara närvarande även på distans.

Efter några månader hade hon hittat sitt angreppssätt, sin struktur för hur hon leder sitt team; både gruppen som helhet och var och en individuellt.

Helene är en sådan som verkligen gör det hon säger att hon ska göra. Hon har reflekterat, testat, justerat och till slut hittat sitt sätt. Med ett helt annat lugn nu än för nio månader sedan.

Och något som alla i gruppen märkt:

Hennes generositet. Hon delar med sig, stöttar, speglar, bjuder på sina lärdomar och hjälper andra att växa. Är inte det ledarskap i sig? 😉

Imorgon har vi sjätte och sista träffen med den allra första gruppen i Ledarprogrammet Perspeqtiv. Tusen tack Helene för att du varit med och allt du bidragit med. Det ska bli så roligt att följa din fortsatta framfart!

🔭 Helene är en av de mer "nya" cheferna. De flesta har mellan 3-10 års erfarenhet. Medan några har över 15 år - och matar sin fortsatta nyfikenhet på att växa som ledare och människa.

Busy day today? Every day busy up until Christmas? 

Here’s how I stay calm and focused, even with a super tight schedule. 

Because it’s nothing but a myth that working nonstop will help you get more done (spoiler alert: it won’t)

The best way to keep doing high quality work is to: 
✅ Take a break

Try one of these today: 

🌱 Look out a window
Notice what you see — colors, shapes, shadows, textures... 
Using your senses helps your mind slow down and stay in the moment. 

🌱 Think of three things you’re grateful for
Say them out loud or write them down. 
Gratitude helps to boost your mood and will make you feel happier! 

🌱 Step outside
Take a 20-minute walk—or even stand outside for 5 minutes. 
Fresh air clears your mind and gives you new energy. 

Think you don’t have time? 
You DO. 

Taking short breaks will make both you and your work better. 

You'll feel better → your work will be better. 

AND: you'll have time and energy left for the things (and people ❤️) that matter most to you. 

Need support in making more space for you and what you love?

I can help. 
👇
Join my (free) workshop on Tuesday January 6, 2026. 

In just 90 minutes we’ll create your roadmap for 2026, with your goals, needs and well-being in focus.

✍️ Sign up here:
https://lnkd.in/dwaT_m3n

No matter age, industry or nationality, the women leaders I coach are talking about the same things.

Since recap and wrap season is here –
these are the patterns I'm noticing, wrapped up in a timely, seasonal outfit 😉

Curious: Does any of this feel familiar to you? 


PS. The rage-bait age thing? Yes, it's in the carousel too. 

PPS. I do my last coaching session for 2025 today. 
Thanks everyone who've trusted me to support you with your leadership, well-being, confidence... well: life 💛

What women leaders came for coaching on

Transition Master

Portugal & International | Present

I help founders, leaders, and high-performing professionals break free from burnout, self-sabotage, and uncertainty so they can reconnect to clarity, energy, and purpose. Through 1:1 coaching and immersive 4-day retreats, I guide clients to transform old narratives, release emotional blocks, and build bold new visions for their life and business.

Rooted in my background as a creative director and corporate leader, my approach blends strategy, storytelling, emotional intelligence and embodied coaching techniques.

Founder & Coach | Freedom Path Coaching & Retreats

ECCO

Explored how human psychology, decision-making, and emotional drivers shape consumer behavior. Learned how inner narratives drive external choices - a principle I now apply in coaching leaders.

Global Digital Research & Development Lead

Supported leaders and teams with core energy coaching, cultural awareness, and conscious leadership practices. This role was a bridge: bringing my coaching methodology into a corporate setting.

People and Culture Coach

Worked on global UX and customer journey strategies. What stood out wasn’t the data, but the human stories behind the data - reinforcing my passion for helping people unlock clarity and purpose.

Online Consumer Experience Specialist - UX

ESSENZA HOME

Led creative strategy and brand storytelling for global lifestyle collections. Beyond trends and aesthetics, this role was about shaping vision, guiding teams, and inspiring emotional connection with audiences.

Highlights:
	•	Defined seasonal narratives & visual identity that resonated worldwide
	•	Managed external creative talent and multidisciplinary teams
	•	Oversaw storytelling from concept → campaign execution (photo, film, digital)

What I discovered: My greatest strength wasn’t just in producing campaigns - it was in helping people align with clarity, confidence, and purpose under pressure. This realisation became the foundation for my coaching work.

Creative Director – Marc O’Polo Home & Esprit 

Energy Leadership Coach | Leadership Trainer | R&D Expert

I believe success without soul will always leave you restless.

I learned that the hard way - burning out in a top-tier creative role, disconnected from my family, and trapped in a life that looked great on paper but felt hollow. At 3am one night, something cracked.

That rupture became a doorway. I walked away from my role as a Global UX Lead, left behind the cycle of overwork and self-sabotage, and began the real work: building a soul-rooted life in Portugal with my family.

Now, I guide founders, leaders, and professionals through that same threshold - the moment when outward success no longer matches the inner truth.

My clients are often intuitive men and women (35–50) in leadership or entrepreneurship who feel:

• Burnt out, restless, or stuck in cycles of overwork
• Successful on the outside, but disconnected inside
• Ready to step into a deeper way of leading and living

My Work: A Three-Part Journey

1. Foundation (Online Coaching)
We create structure and clarity - breaking patterns of self-sabotage, burnout, and victimhood.

2. Core (Deep 1:1 Containers)
We go beyond surface-level strategy into soul-level recalibration - releasing old identities so you can lead with clarity, courage, and self-trust.

3. Expansion (Immersive Retreats)
For those ready to go further, I co-lead exclusive 4-day retreats in Portugal - an accelerated environment where breakthroughs are embodied and new visions anchored.

Clients often tell me the shift begins with my voice - like something inside them finally unblocks. That’s because this isn’t therapy or quick-fix strategy. It’s deep identity work. Emotional reset. A return to your true power.

If you feel the pull, send me a DM with “UNMUTE” for my free 7-Day Voice Activation Series - designed to help you reclaim your voice, your truth, and the power you’ve been holding back.

Daniel Philip Wilcock

So here goes...I feel it's time to share something pretty vulnerable about my journey so far. 

Over a year ago, I chose to leave my life in Holland behind with 3 young daughters, a wife, and a vision to live simpler in Portugal surrounded by nature.

The first few months, everything was what we had hoped for. My wife and daughters were really enjoying the slow pace, open culture and nature, we even got chickens - ALOT (there's such a thing as chicken math, go check it out).

But the one thing that was the hardest for me was how I felt. I went from being a corporate leader to suddenly an entrepreneur, depending on my next client to survive.

Daily I was waking up with my head racing, mind full, tight chest, and a million things to do - but not seeing the effort reflecting back in my bank balance.

I was chasing that next strategy... squandering the resources I did have on the next smart business coach or smartest GPT strategy to save me.

It did not. (I'll go into 'why nots' in another post).

Instead, I ended up just losing the capital I did have, feeling more disappointed with myself.

so I let go.

Let go of the expectations that were in my 'corporate head' thinking I had to prove something, and instead decided to cut the noise fully and spend a few weeks off to simply FEEL into what my body was telling me... the doubt, the fear, the sadness, the weight I was holding.

And you know what?

When I finally sat with the sadness and let the tears fall, a lightness came.

A sense of relief, followed by a clarity.

In that moment I realised that my life and business can only feel amazing if my feelings and thoughts line up with my actions.

The choice to leave our safe life behind in Holland was a brave one and a move only few do, but I failed to realise in the process that I did not give myself the time or chance to regulate my nervous system. 

I was living in a dysregulated state for so long, I had no clue that it wasn't me.

I'm saying all this because I see SO many founders take the action, start the business, hoping to feel more alive and free - only to find themselves more stressed, working harder than ever, on the verge of burning out.

The game changer for me was when I learned to regulate my nervous system, so I could finally think, feel, and act in a more stable and clear way.

Enabling me to be present for my kids, have time for my wife, and actually feel like I enjoy the place I live in.

Now I'm more passionate than ever to help founders like me who are stuck in dysregulated patterns, not knowing how (or if it's even possible) to change it.

If this resonates with you, I've spent months developing a 5-minute nervous system assessment to help you identify where you are right now in your own life and business and will give you honest feedback directly as to what I recommend as a next step, based on my experience.

(link in the comments)

P.S. I sincerely hope you get your body and life back too, your family needs you.

Daniel Philips

Somatic Business Coach for HSP, ADHD & Neurodiverse Founders | Your sensitivity isn’t the problem - dysregulation is | I help you regulate and build without burning out | Free nervous system assessment

I moved to Portugal to escape burnout. Instead, I found a wake-up call.

A few years ago, my family and I left everything behind.

Sold the house. Packed the van. Drove south with three small kids, chasing mountains, freedom and a slower pace.

Within months, the fantasy crumbled, and the business that worked back home wasn't working anymore. 

The clarity I expected turned into uncertainty and financial pressure, and that familiar tightness in my chest was back.

I came to realise that you can't outrun a dysregulated nervous system.

The same patterns that drove me to burnout as a UX Strategy Lead at a global fashion brand followed me to the Portuguese mountains. 

The hyper-vigilance, the overworking, the inability to rest even when exhausted.

Portugal didn't fix me, instead it exposed what I hadn't yet dealt with, and that exposure became the most valuable education of my life.

I've now come to realise that entrepreneurship is a nervous system sport.

The uncertainty, the financial risk, the constant pivoting, the loneliness of building something from nothing while raising a family - it all demands regulation in a way most of us were never taught.

Most founders are operating in survival mode 80% of the time, making decisions from a reactive state rather than a strategic one. 

I was no different.

So I started treating my nervous system like an athlete treats their body. 

With daily maintenance, recognising my limits and building in recovery, as well as learning to make decisions from a grounded place.

Now I help other entrepreneurs change the internal patterns that keep our heads and bodies stuck in survival mode, even when we've built the life we dreamed of.

The mountain views are beautiful, but my real breakthrough was learning to look inward.

Sunday evenings in Portugal hit different vs my old life back in Holland.  

This morning we collected wild mushrooms in the mountains. 

now sitting next to the fire, preparing for the week ahead.

Three years ago, I was drowning in back-to-back meetings, 
checking emails at midnight, convincing myself that's what success looked like..

Today, success looks like knowing when my nervous system needs nature.
When it needs silence.
When it needs to move slower to think clearer.

Building a business around how you're actually wired 
instead of how you think you should be..

That shift has been incredibly important for me and my young family. 

They now have their father back, and I’ve saved my marriage. 

Here's to a week of working with your unique nervous system design, and a weekly rhythm that enriches your life - not goes against it 🙏🏻❤️

11:47pm. Amsterdam. December 16th. 2019.


Laptop glow on the ceiling. My wife and daughter asleep. I'd just bought another "this will change everything" course.


Not because I needed it. Because I was buzzing. Restless. Looking for a hit to save me from sitting with my feelings...


Trying to outrun a life that looked noble and kinda perfect on the outside. But inside I was numb to everything that should have made me happy.

To compensate I was skipping from course to course. Opportunity to opportunity.

Always learning, always busy, always doing what the gurus told me to do.

It looked proactive. Honestly, it was a classic distraction strategy.

I was living a reactive life - led by "shoulds," stuck in my head, disconnected from my body's signals to rest. Stop. Breathe.

Slowly running myself and my marriage into the ground.

The cost showed up at home first. The "I'm too busy" snap every time my wife asked something. Presence replaced by productivity.

At the time I was a leader in a global church. Supposed to have it together.
Inside, I was a hell of a mess.

I often turned to p*rn to soothe a nervous system out of check. 
only compounding the guilt, shame and failure I felt inside.

11:47pm was the moment where I could no longer handle the double life I was living.

So I shouted to myself in the mirror that moment in frustration and tears.

How the hell can I support others if I can't even support myself?

The next morning, I chose to be honest with my wife. Asked her forgiveness and support.

That was the moment I finally took responsibility for my mind, my body, and the stories still keeping me stuck.

You’re surrounded by family this Christmas, and you've never felt more alone.

I know that feeling.

Sitting at the table in my own house (beautiful home, kids being kids, work going ok) watching my wife share goofy moments with her father, mum and brothers.

Everyone I loved was right there.
Yet I felt completely alone inside my own skin.

I remember thinking..

Maybe January will fix this.
New year. Fresh start. Better approach.

But I’d thought that before.
Multiple Januarys. Multiple fresh starts.

And every December, I ended up in the same shitty place.

Same nagging buzz in my head.
Same numbness in my bones.

That quiet 'off' feeling pulsing underneath the Christmas lights.

But back in Christmas 2019, it was different.

I decided to stop long enough to feel what I’d spent a lifetime outrunning.

I went back to the 6-year-old me on the floor.

Who was watching tennis on the TV.
Parents screaming in front of him.
Holding his knees. Bracing for impact.
Trying to disappear without leaving the room.

I sat with him and asked what he needed to say back then...
the thing no one let him say.

STOP YELLING. I FEEL SCARED.

Then I told him the things he needed to hear:

You’re not too much.
This isn’t your fault.
You don’t have to disappear to be safe.

Something loosened in my chest that day.
A tight grip I didn’t even know I’d been living with.

For the first time in years, I could take a full breath.

Because I finally stopped abandoning myself.
the same way I’d learned to do it for everyone else.

I was addicted to being the reliable one.
The man who always showed up.
The one holding it all together.
The father. The founder.

All while numbing the ache in my gut.
and quietly waiting to be exposed as incompetent.

An imposter. A fraud.

If you’re feeling that gap right now... 
between the 'christmas hype' and the loneliness inside.

this might not be a 'season' problem.
Or a planning problem.
Or a motivation problem.

It might be the cost of a childhood where no one came looking for you
when you went quiet.

The more capable you are, the longer you can ignore that your life doesn't fit anymore. 

until one day, your body completely contracts.  

last week, I sat with a woman who looked successful on every metric - work coming in, respected in her field, financially stable. 

but inside? she was unraveling at speed. "I feel like such a mess," she said. "I should have this figured out by now." 

she wasn't a mess. she was waking up. 

the exhaustion you can't fix with rest? 
the decision paralysis that won't go away? 
the flatness where nothing feels exciting anymore? 

To be clear, this is NOT burnout, it's a sign that your soul is trying to get your attention. 

I wrote about what happens when you finally stop ignoring it.

She wasn't a mess. She was just finally waking up to the fact that she'd been living someone else's definition of success. A week back, I sat across f

Open article: Last Tuesday, a woman told me: "I feel like such a mess. I should have this figured out by now." by Daniel Philips • 5 min read

Last Tuesday, a woman told me: "I feel like such a mess. I should have this figured out by now."

I can't shut off.

That's what most burned out founders tell me in our first conversation.

"I'm always on edge." "I work all the time but nothing moves forward."

I get it. I lived it.

Some years ago, I was sitting in the Portuguese mountains, overlooking a view I'd dreamed about for years back in Holland.

The kids were running around with our collection of chickens, with the puppy chasing behind, living their best life.

Carefree.

Yet, all I could think about was: how do I stabilise my business this month?
My chest was tight, my mind racing.

Revenue was unstable, and I'd convinced myself that if I didn't spend every waking minute on my laptop, hustling...reaching out....chasing... I'd miss my numbers.

I was working 8am to 10pm most days.

Checking my phone at the dinner table, any moment possible... Snapping at my wife and kids like I was always in a rush to get somewhere.

Even though there was nowhere to go.

My body felt like it had to constantly run to and from something just to stay alive.

To provide. To survive.

What I didn't understand back then was that restlessness, and edginess I felt, that inability to switch off... it wasn't a discipline problem.

It was my nervous system stuck in survival mode.

You see, when you're constantly stressed, your body interprets every business challenge as a life-or-death threat.

A quiet inbox feels like danger. 
A dip in revenue triggers the same response as being chased by a predator.

Your nervous system doesn't know the difference between a missed sales call and a physical threat, so it keeps you in fight-or-flight.

All day. Every day.

The real problem wasn't about me working too much, with the idea that working 4 days instead of 7 would solve it.

It was because I was working from a dysregulated state and justifying it as normal, necessary 'entrepreneurial' behaviour.

No amount of productivity hacks would fix that.

Adding another system or GPT strategy is like focusing on installing a new update on your SatNav, whilst your car is running on fumes and about to break down any moment.

If this is hitting home for you, I built a quick assessment to help you see what's actually going on.

Takes 5 minutes, and shows you where your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, along with what to do about it.

DM me 'SYSTEMS' and I'll send you the link.

I was snapping at my kids while living in paradise....

Working 8am-10pm. Chest tight. Mind spinning.

The problem wasn't my business strategy or work ethic. 

It was my nervous system.

I just published a newsletter about why capable founders stay stuck + 
the 90-minute process that shifts it.

Read here.

I was working 8am-10pm in what people call paradise. Portugal. Mountains. Freedom. The reality: phone at dinner, snapping at my kids, chest constantly

Open article: The Regulation Gap (why smart Entrepreneurs often stay stuck) by Daniel Philips • 3 min read

The Regulation Gap (why smart Entrepreneurs often stay stuck)

Your overwhelm isn’t mental. It’s mechanical.

Founders tell me all the time:
“I know exactly what to do…I just can’t seem to do it.”

That's not discipline problem
Nor lack of willpower.
And won't be solved by finding another smart AI hack.

The problem is that your Nervous system is overloaded and does not know how to decompress. 

This week’s newsletter breaks down the moment a client realised he wasn’t inconsistent - he was dysregulated.

And what happened when we reset his system in real time.

If you’ve been feeling scattered, reactive, or stuck in loops…
Comment RESET and I’ll send you the information for the 1:1 90 min deep dive I'm doing with a few founders in January.

Most founders think the hardest part of growth is strategy. OR discipline. OR picking the right business guru who promises “10k months in 30 days.” Bu

Open article: Your overwhelm isn’t mental - it’s mechanical. by Daniel Philips • 3 min read

Your overwhelm isn’t mental - it’s mechanical.

As a Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur, I used to think I just needed better boundaries.

Turned out, I needed better regulation.

And after years of working with other founders, I see the same pattern emerging, they know what they should do....take breaks, set boundaries, work less.

But when they try.. their body won't let them.

When they sit down to rest, their chest tightens. 
When they close the laptop, anxiety floods in.

And that was me in Portugal... I had all the time in the world. Mountains. Freedom. Space.

But I couldn't access any of it, because my nervous system was still running on a scarcity operating system.

But after going through this season of rewiring myself, I now know that when your nervous system is dysregulated, rest used to feel dangerous, and when I slowed down triggered alarm bells.

Because my body used to interpret "not working" as "not surviving."

So I kept grinding, not because I wanted to, but because my nervous system wouldnt let me stop. I was wired.

And I certainly learnt one thing for sure, that you cannot think your way out of a dysregulated nervous system.

You have to train it.

Like an athlete trains their body, you have to teach your nervous system that it's safe to downregulate.

Making that quiet inbox, a welcome thing instead of a panic attack. 
So that you feel like rest is actually productive, not dangerous.

This is the work I do now with founders who are barely holding on.

I tell them to forget about time management hacks and productivity systems you were sold, none of it works until you regulate your nervous system first.

Instead, I help you recognise the difference between actual threats and normal business challenges.

So that you can build the capacity to stay grounded under pressure instead of reactive, and make strategic decisions from a state of calm, not panic.

Because the fastest way to burn out isn't working too hard.
It's working from a dysregulated state and never coming back down.

So you're recognising yourself in this, I built a free 5-minute assessment to show you exactly where your nervous system needs support.

DM me 'REGULATE' and I'll send it over.

Some neurodiverse founders are not held back by strategy…they’re held back by something much more covert.

It’s the real reason so many brilliant, neurodiverse founders keep saying:

“I don’t have time.”
“I should be able to do this myself.”
“What if I can’t follow through?”
“I’m too overwhelmed to think about this.”

Most founders treat these as 'mindset issues.'

They’re not.
They’re nervous system signals....

And unless you know how to read them, they’ll keep you stuck in the exact same January → February → March loop you’re trying to escape.

In today’s newsletter, I break down:

• why these objections show up
• what they actually mean in your body
• and how to finally create capacity instead of pushing harder

Read the full article below.

If you’re hesitating, read this. Most founders don’t hesitate because they’re unsure. They hesitate because their nervous system is unsure. And the ob

Open article: There’s a version of you your current nervous system can’t access yet. by Daniel Philips • 2 min read

There’s a version of you your current nervous system can’t access yet.

“Why do I crave free time… but shut down the moment I get it?”

This was one of the most confronting things I uncovered in a recent founder reset session.

Not procrastination.
Not laziness.
Not a motivation problem.

A nervous system caught in volatility - trained to survive in chaos, and panic when he was at rest.

His brain said: “I want spaciousness.”
His body said: “But… what if it’s not safe?”

Todays newsletter breaks it down:

- Why you can’t switch off even when you want to
- The hidden pattern behind overwhelm cycles
- And the exact somatic shift to bring brings clarity back online

Let me tell you about a neurodiverse client who, on the outside, looked capable and calm… but inside, everything was running too fast. Brilliant mind.

Open article: Why your system can’t follow through (even when you want it to) by Daniel Philips • 4 min read

Why your system can’t follow through (even when you want it to)

Not all excitement is created equal.

I learned this in a session with a client last week.

He was a creative founder describing two different moments in his life:

Moment 1: Going from 2K to 100K in crypto. The rush. The high. "I'm finally escaping."

Moment 2: On a film set in Europe with an amazing team. He was in pure flow. Time was disappearing.

Both gave him goosebumps.

But when I asked him to feel into the difference?

He said something that stopped me:

"The crypto goosebumps were short. like a spike...On the film set, goosebumps were long, deep, more intense. That one felt like a deeper satisfaction. This felt like... myself."

The Crypto journey for him showed volatility ie
Manic highs..crushing lows...adrenaline-fuelled... isolated and short-lived.

The Film set with friends showed radiance ie
Grounded aliveness. Sustainable. Fills you up. Connected. Present.

Most burned-out founders are addicted to the volatility because their nervous system learned that volatility = normal.

So they keep recreating it:
 → Revenue swings that wreck them
 → Overworking then crashing
 → Chasing the next strategy to "save" them
 → Saying yes to everything, then collapsing

It can 'feel alive' for a moment, but it's not sustainable.

Radiance is different.

The founder described moments of real connection for himself:

A dinner with friends where he felt fully himself, a men's gathering where he spoke his truth, coaching sessions where his chest opened and his shoulders dropped.

His body responded differently.

Here he experienced 'no quick rush'

Stating: "Everything just feels safe. I don't need to have all the answers. I am at peace."

For him, it wasn't about choosing 'to hustle' or 'to rest'
It was actually about choosing between volatility and radiance.

With volatility feeling like:
 → Tight chest, racing mind
 → Checking numbers obsessively
 → Trying to control the uncontrollable
 → Shaky legs, panic, 'I need to turn back time'

Radiance feeling like:
 → Chest open, throat relaxed
 → Time disappearing
 → Being fully present
 → 'I can just be myself here'

Because your nervous system will ALWAYS pull you towards what feels familiar.

If volatility is familar, you'll keep recreating boom-bust cycles.
If radiance is familiar, you'll build sustainably.

So which pattern are you feeding?

The i've created a Founder Regulation Assessment shows you in 5 minutes.

You can take it here → https://lnkd.in/ePrZAVNX

Your body already knows the difference, the question is whether you're listening.

- Dan

The day after I told my wife I'd been using p*rn, I went looking for answers.

Cacao ceremonies. 
Church events. 
Men's circles. 
Breathwork. 
Journaling. 
Therapy.

I read the books. Did the courses. Showed up in all the right rooms.
And sure, some of it helped. Temporarily.

But the noise never stopped.

A low, constant weird hum in my body... like something was always 'off' in me, even when my life looked 'right.'

Even when I was leading a global church. 
Even when I was standing on stage, being praised for how wise and spiritual I seemed. 
Even when I had a beautiful wife and a newborn in my arms.

Especially then.

Because I couldn't fully feel the joy of my first child being born. 

Couldn't look my wife in the eyes for too long without wanting to look away.

The shame sat between us like a third presence in the room.

I thought I had a discipline or habit problem.

What I didn't understand yet was that I wasn't trying to solve a man's problem.
I was still functioning like the 6-year-old version of myself.

Why? well I grew up with an alcoholic mum and a dad who didn't know how to father.

I still remember sitting on the floor, tennis on the TV, while they threw things and screamed at each other in front of me.

I discovered something magical that day.

If I could pretend I was inside the program (if I could disappear into it) I couldn't be harmed.

That became my superpower.

At school, I was the kid who felt too much. Got bullied. Picked apart with words.
So I learned to hide... Numb... ...Accept what was happening and escape later.

Bedroom. TV. Video games. Eventually p*rn.

Because my nervous system didn't know any other way to feel safe.


Fast forward 30 years.
Same pattern with a different packaging.

Still escaping. Still numbing. Still dissociating - just now with a title, a platform, and spiritual language that made it look holy.

And no amount of clever thinking was going to fix that. No men's circle. No ceremony. No 'performance of authenticity.'

Because you CANNOT smart your way out of a childhood wound.

You have to go back and meet the kid who learned that disappearing was safer than being seen.

So I went back to that place, to finally stay long enough to feel what I'd spent my whole life outrunning.

You don't recognise yourself anymore.

The goals that used to drive you feel hollow. 
The strategies that always worked... don't. 
The version of you everyone knows feels like a costume you can't take off.

Nothing's technically broken.

But something inside you just stopped.

This is an identity death.
And it's the most terrifying (and sacred) threshold you'll ever cross.

The next article I wrote dives deep into this - are you ready?

There's a specific moment in transformation that no one warns you about. It's not the decision to change. It's not the moment you know something needs

Open article: The sacred collapse - when your old identity stops.  by Daniel Philips • 6 min read

The sacred collapse - when your old identity stops.

I watched a founder go from 2K to 100K in crypto.

Then back to 10K. Then 3K.

They were lying awake at night thinking: "I need to turn back time."

But the real problem wasn't the crypto.

It was their nervous system recreating the exact volatility pattern it learned in childhood.

Boom. Everything's great..... Bust.....Everything's collapsing. Repeat.

This is called the boom-bust trap.

And most burned-out founders don't even realise they're stuck in it.

They think it's about:

- Bad timing
- Wrong strategy
- Not disciplined enough

But it's none of them. 

It was about your nervous system being addicted to volatility.

Because your were raised to think that the volatility feels familiar,
and your nervous system always chooses familiar over safe.

I wrote about why this happens - and how to actually break it.

It's based on real client work, it's vulnerable, and it might explain why you keep ending up in the same place.

Read it in the latest article below.

Note: for confidentiality reasons the character in the story will have a fictional name) I had a client recently who couldn't understand why he kept e

Open article: The boom-bust trap: why burned-out Founders keep recreating the same pattern by Daniel Philips • 4 min read

The boom-bust trap: why burned-out Founders keep recreating the same pattern

"I'm not sure if I really want to do this, or if I just love the idea of wanting to do it."

A founder said this to me last week.


It was completely recognisable, because I've experienced the same split myself.

The one where you can't tell the difference between what your body is pulling you toward and what you think you 'should' want.

He said he wanted to dedicate Saturday mornings to walking in nature - just him, his feet on the ground, and no agenda.

But he kept not doing it....

There was always something 'more important.'
So I asked him to go back to a time when he really wanted something.
When he last felt the urge for it.

He remembered back when he was young, when he collected stones with his brother to break them open and find crystals inside.

When he described this moment, his whole energy shifted.

"It was like a pulling force," he said. "I felt it in my belly, almost magnetic."

That's what real desire feels like.

It's not in your head.

You feel it in your body.

Like a pull, a magnetism, an urge you just can't ignore.

But most burned-out founders have lost access to that feeling.

Because their nervous system is so dysregulated, they can't feel what they actually want anymore.

Instead, they find themselves stuck in:
"I should want to rest."
"I should want to meditate."
"I should want to work on my business."

But when the moment finally comes...
They freeze....numb out....scroll..... default to work.

And it makes sense, because they've been overriding their body for so long, they don't know how to feel their own urges anymore.

This founder said something that made my heart break for him:
"I crave free time, but when I have it, I have no idea what I want to do, so I just waste it."

That's a classic sign of dysregulation.

When your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, you lose access to:
- What truly excites you
- What lights your life up
- What your body is actually pulling you toward

All you can feel is...
'What's useful for my business?'
'What's productive today?'
'What should I be doing so I look busy?'

The only way out of this is to regulate your body.

So your nervous system feels safe, giving you permission to access your urges again.

That magnetic pull in your belly to smash open rocks and find crystals.
The thing you'd set an alarm for on a Saturday morning.
The desire that doesn't need to be rationalised - it just is.

If you've lost touch with what you actually want, your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

The 'Founder Regulation Assessment' I created shows you where - and what to do about it.

It takes 5 minutes, is completely private, and no email is required unless you want the full breakdown.

Link in comments

Be honest - will you be starting January regulated or overwhelmed?

Because from every call I’m having with HSP, ADHD and neurodiverse founders, I’m seeing the same pattern over and over again:

You look like you have everything together on the outside -
 smart, perceptive, high-achieving…

…but inside, your mind is chaotic, reactive and constantly spiralling.

And December has made that even louder - extra activities, tighter budgets, more commitments, more emotional load.

The result?

Exhaustion....
Watching others move ahead with ease...

And the quiet fear:
“Maybe I don’t have what it takes to be successful.”

You definitely don’t want to start another year overwhelmed, masking competence, and privately melting down while trying to outrun your own nervous system.

But you know what happens if you don’t reset now:

January feels hopeful.
February feels familiar.
March… back in the same loops that drained you last year.

And nope - discipline isn’t the issue. (If it was, you’d have solved it by now.)

The issue is that your mind and body aren’t working together.

Your head is overloaded.
Your body is signalling distress.
And your shoulders probably feel it more than anything.

After being there myself, here’s what actually creates the shift:

I’m opening 5 spots for a New Year Founder Regulation Reset - a 90-minute personalised session designed to take you from chaotic + reactive 
→ self-led + focused.

Here’s what we do inside:
1. Uncover the real pattern driving your overwhelm
2. Regulate your system so your mind finally quiets
3. Rebuild inner leadership so you trust yourself again
4. Create a simple weekly plan you can actually follow

A founder from last years deep dive told me:
“I finally did the thing I’d been avoiding for years… because my brain and body finally felt steady enough to handle it.”

That shift happened within a week.

If you want to enter January clear, calm, and able to follow through:

Comment “RESET” and I’ll send the details.
5 spots. €347.

 Once they’re gone, this closes.
- Dan

There’s a moment I’ve never shared publicly.

A small, ordinary moment at the dinner table in Portugal a few years back, that  revealed the real reason I was overwhelmed in my business.

From the outside, everything looked beautiful.
Inside my body....nothing was.

My phone would buzz and my whole system would jolt.
Chest tight. Breath shallow. Shoulders heavy...

A feeling that one message could decide whether I was safe or not.
I thought I had a business problem.

Turns out… I had a nervous system problem.

This week I’m opening up about what actually shifted everything for me, the moment I stopped surviving my business and finally started building it from a regulated place.

I wrote the full story in myt latest newsletter, it’s vulnerable and honest, in the hope that it will help others to reflect before heading into 2026. 

You’ll feel it in your chest if you’ve ever been stuck in that loop of hustling harder while feeling more disconnected from yourself.

There’s a moment from Portugal I still think about more than I want to admit. Dinner table. Candles. Mountains in the distance. My wife talking softly

Open article: The moment I realised I wasn’t actually free
 by Daniel Philips • 2 min read

The moment I realised I wasn’t actually free

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