Episode Summary:

In Episode 60, Coach Mo steps into the Inner Arena to answer real-world leadership questions from listeners who are barely hanging on. From Stacy, a higher ed leader feeling invisible and depleted, to Kevin, a senior healthcare manager stuck on autopilot — this episode dives deep into what it really means to lead yourself when your tank is empty.

Coach Mo unpacks the invisible cost of emotional over-functioning, the warning signs of energy leaks, and how to use simple but powerful resets to plug the drain. If you’ve been giving your all and still feeling “not enough,” this episode is your wake-up call — and your reset button.

Key Takeaways:

• Energy Protection isn’t self-care fluff — it’s leadership armor.
  Learning to pause, breathe, and reset lets you reclaim power when emotions threaten to take the wheel.
• Rep Resets (Coach Mo’s signature breathwork tool) are a 3-minute solution to ground you under pressure and reset your leadership energy in the moment.
• Your inner critic gets louder when your values are violated.
  That exhaustion you feel? It’s often not from what you’re doing — it’s from how far you’ve drifted from what matters to you.
• If you’re people-pleasing your way to burnout, you're leaking energy with every “yes” that dishonors your values.
• Purpose isn’t lost — it’s buried under depletion.
  Kevin’s story shows that the flatline feeling isn’t failure, it’s a signal. Getting your SWAG back (Self-awareness, Why power, Aligned actions, Grit) starts by identifying what shifted.

Listener Questions Answered:

• Stacy, Director of Academic Affairs (Higher Ed)
  “How do I protect my emotional energy without letting people down or checking out completely?”
  → Coach Mo breaks down the dangers of emotional overfunctioning, silent resentment, and how to use Rep Resets + Energy SWOTs to get grounded again.
• Kevin, Senior Ops Manager (Healthcare)
  “How do I reconnect with my purpose when I feel emotionally flat?”
  → Coach Mo walks him through the “Why Power” diagnostic — part of the SWAG framework — and how to identify the exact values no longer being honored.