What if everything you believed about your potential was based on someone else's opinion of you?

In this powerful episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Hanna Bauer, executive leadership coach and author, to unpack why so many talented leaders feel stuck living lives that don't actually fit them. Hanna reveals a truth that hits hard: most of us are operating from beliefs about ourselves that were handed to us by teachers, parents, bosses, or critics—and we never questioned whether those beliefs were actually true.

Hanna shares her own story of being told she wasn't leadership material, only to discover years later that she'd internalized a lie that shaped her entire career trajectory. She introduces the concept of "reclaiming your potential"—not finding some hidden superpower, but excavating the real you from underneath all the shoulds, supposed-tos, and other people's expectations that have been piled on top.

This conversation tackles the messy work of identifying the beliefs that are quietly running your life, why high achievers are often the most disconnected from who they really are, and how to start making decisions based on what's actually true about you rather than what you've been told. Jason and Hanna dig into practical ways to recognize when you're living someone else's script, how to get honest about what you actually want (not what you think you should want), and why reclaiming your potential might mean disappointing some people.

If you've ever felt like you're working hard at the wrong things, or wondered why success doesn't feel the way you thought it would, this episode will challenge everything you think you know about yourself.

Links:

• Hanna's book: Reclaim Your Potential (available wherever books are sold)
• Hanna's website: hannabauer.com
• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

This episode could be the wake-up call someone in your life needs.

SHARE it with a leader who's ready to stop living someone else's version of success, and SUBSCRIBE to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast for conversations that dig beneath the surface.