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Shamelessly AmbitiousAuthor: Ashley McDonald, Therapist & Nervous System First Business Mentor
Shamelessly Ambitious is an honest, grounding, and vulnerable podcast for ambitious, emotionally intelligent women who are done proving themselves, tired of living in constant high-functioning burnout, and craving a life and business that actually feel good.Hosted by Ash McDonaldtherapist, nervous-system-first business mentor, and speaker this show blends clinical expertise with lived experience to deliver nervous system tools, embodied strategies, and radical permission so you can expand your capacity, root into emotional steadiness, and build sustainable success that supports your whole life.If youre feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, caught in productivity guilt, or stuck running on stress, this podcast meets you where you arewith therapeutic insights, embodied practices, and heartfelt stories that create real shifts. Whether youre navigating motherhood, entrepreneurship, or the messy middle of redefining success, each episode helps you slow down, regulate, and return to a felt sense of safety in your body.With over a decade of experience at the intersection of therapy and leadership, Ash pulls back the curtain on what really worksoffering grounded guidance you can apply in real life.What youll hear:Honest conversations about burnout recovery, nervous system regulation, and redefining successSomatic tools, meditations, and practices that build inner safety and capacityStories of motherhood, mom-life, ambition, and the courage to create a life and business that feel rich and realIf youre asking the following questions, youre in the right place:How do I stop tying my worth to productivity?How do I know if Im experiencing high-functioning burnout and what do I do about it?How do I balance motherhood and leadership without losing myself?How do I calm my body when I feel overwhelmed or overstimulated?This is the podcast for when youre ready to reclaim peace, expand what you can hold, and create success that doesnt cost you yourself. Tune in and take the next ste Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Relationships, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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173. Why High-Functioning Women Feel Exhausted: Hormones, Stress, and Undereating with Leisha Drews (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 6)
Episode 173
Tuesday, 10 February, 2026
High-functioning. Capable. Reliable. The one who always figures it out.And somehow… still exhausted.In the final episode of the Energy Is Everything series, Ash sits down with hormone and functional health expert Leisha Drews… her long-time, deeply trusted go-to for both her own health and her kids’. This conversation pulls back the curtain on why so many high-achieving women feel depleted, anxious, wired-but-tired, and burned out (even when they’re “doing all the right things.”)TOPICS WE EXPLORE:• Why high-functioning women often believe “the rules don’t apply to me” until the body forces a reckoning• How undernourishment shows up as fatigue, anxiety, sleep issues, PMS, blood sugar crashes, and burnout• The direct link between chronic stress, cortisol, and hormone imbalance• How stress steals progesterone and contributes to estrogen dominance• Why supplements can’t out-supplement a chronically stressed, under-fed lifestyle• The all-or-nothing cycle of restriction, control, and eventual burnout• The power of “better than nothing” when perfection keeps you stuck• Why nourishment + nervous system safety changes everythingPOINT OF THE EPISODE:When your body doesn’t feel safe, fed, or supported, it will always pull the emergency brake. True energy comes from nourishment, regulation, and compassion… not more discipline, restriction, or self-pressure.Or, as Ash puts it: eat more and love yourself.MENTIONED:• The Nourish Tracker: Leisha’s AI-based food and cycle-aware tracking tool designed to reduce overwhelm and support hormone balance. Use code ASH for $20 off or click here• Simply Nourished Cycles Podcast Training: a 20-minute audio training on hormone health, stress, and nourishment• The Happily Hormonal Podcast: Leisha’s podcast with hundreds of episodes and a “start here” guide for specific symptomsThis episode is the reminder so many high-capacity women diAre you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASHI am the definition of duality — I swear like a sailor and break rules like it’s my job, but I also hold incredible space for my clients and work my ass off to help them achieve the success they’re after. But I'm also here for the non-preneur woman, too. My background in counseling gives me a unique perspective on what it means to show up, serve, & create connection for those who feel like they've never belonged before. LINKS: Become the Regulated Woman Get emails that feel like your best friend (if your best friend was a therapist and actually told you the truth). Use code BB20 to get The Burnout Breakthrough for only $7 Follow me on IG (dropping in once a quarter for updates & gossip) Website: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com Work with me 1:1 Therapeutic Mentorship Business Therapy (therapy + strategic mentorship) ...
