This week on the CEOs Off the Record Podcast, I'm interviewing Dr. Raquel Dailey, CEO of Growth Compass and Best Life Abroad, to discuss intention, strengths-based work, and how to avoid burnout and not work on autopilot.

Dr. Dailey explains she created Growth Compass after seeing talented high performers operating from exhaustion in workplaces that reward output while ignoring energy, leading to disengagement and turnover.

During our interview, Dr. Daley defines intentional living as choosing direction proactively, aligning calendars with values, and auditing “yes” decisions; she distinguishes being good at something from being energized by it and suggests small, strategic shifts to integrate strengths.

This is a can't miss episode!

02:33 Why Strengths Matter

06:03 Finding Your Strengths

12:28 Leading Across Generations

16:13 What Is Intentional Living

19:24 Quiet Entrepreneurship Mindset

21:25 Launch Formula24:17 Good At vs Energized

27:18 Outgrowing Old Roles

30:26 Loving Craft Not Clients

36:57 Audit Your Yes

39:33 Strengths Drive Revenue

42:30 Autopilot Warning Signs

47:34 Schedule Reflection Time

50:25 Reject Grind Culture

Contact Dr. Raquel Dailey:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-dailey/

- Website: https://www.raqueldailey.com/

Register for the upcoming Launch Formula Cohort: https://jessicamariedavis.com/launch-formula/

On this episode of the CEO’s Off the Record podcast, I'm interviewing Nora Schlesinger, CEO of Nora Schlesinger Consulting, about empathy in leadership and operations as companies scale and adjust to market fluctuations.

Nora shares her non-linear path from running and selling an SEO-focused content marketing agency, staying on to manage the acquisition transition, then leaving when the role shifted away from operations, and building a consulting business supporting female founders with operations, systems, and leadership.

Nora discusses patterns she sees in women leaders and offers insightful advice for messy career transitions in these new times we find ourselves in.

Time Stamps:

02:14 Nora’s Corporate Exit

05:50 Leading Through Layoffs

10:06 Finding the Right Fit

12:24 Building High-Trust Teams

21:11 Owning Your Experience

25:33 Empathetic Operations

30:55 Women Leaders Patterns

33:14 Delegation Over Burnout

36:51 Perfectionism Reality Check

38:24 People Pleasing Spectrum

46:22 Risk Plans And Mantras

Nora's Contact Details:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraschlesinger/

- Website: https://www.noraschlesinger.com/

Feeling overwhelmed by all the shiny objects you're being told are necessary for your business to run. Yet you're unsure how any of it will actually solve your business problems?

This episode is your answer. Join Jess as she dives into a conversation with Ema Roloff, co-founder of Roloff Consulting.

Emma brings refreshing clarity to the hype around technology and the shiny object syndrome within the tech industry. She focuses on trust and intentionality over chasing trends.

Discover why true digital leadership requires more than just adopting new tools, and how being authentic can revolutionize your approach to growth and innovation.

Here's the quote Ema mentioned during the interview at 22:48, from John Chambers, CEO, Cisco:

“40% of businesses in this room, unfortunately will not exist in a meaningful way in 10 years… If I’m not making you sweat, I should be” John Chambers, Cisco CEO.

Watch media coverage of his remarks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR2IYvlVY8s

Contact & Follow Ema:

Ema Roloff, Co-Founder, Roloff Consulting

Website: https://www.roloffconsulting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emaroloff/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@emaroloff7690

Instagram Handle: @transformationprincess

02:00 The Power of Content and Authenticity

05:17 Rethinking Sales Strategies

09:30 The Importance of Relationship Building

13:08 Ema's Journey: From Teaching to Sales

20:17 Navigating Shiny Object Syndrome

22:22 The FOMO Cycle in Technology Adoption

27:24 The Cycle of Ineffective Software Adoption

28:37 The Cost of Integration and Implementation

30:07 The Importance of Starting with 'Why'

32:29 The Shift in Digital Leadership

35:12 Authenticity in Leadership and Content Creation

42:14 Experimentation and Continuous Learning