The PIE Model: Why "My Work Should Speak for Itself" Was Never True
You were told your work would speak for itself. It accounts for 10%.
In this episode, I'm joined by Gabrielle Ferguson, a career coach whose work centres on identity-led leadership—helping senior leaders understand who they are beyond their job title. Gabs introduces the PIE model, and we look at why the 90% most of us ignore is the part that decides whether we get the promotion, the lateral move, or the room to do something new.
In this conversation, we talk about:
why performance accounts for so little of career success, and where the rest of it actually comes from,
how a reputation that has quietly gone out of date can block the move you are trying to make, and
what it takes to find out what you are really known for, and to reposition it without a personality transplant.
If you have been doing excellent work and still watching someone else get chosen, this is a conversation worth having.
Connect with Gabrielle:
Website – https://www.gabrielleferguson.com/contact
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellefergusoncoach/
Connect with Julianna:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannayauyorgan
Join my newsletter – https://www.daringtosucceed.com/newsletter
7 Sept 2026
Data Over Assumptions: How Strategic Decisions Actually Get Made with Michelle DeNio
We all say we want to make data-driven decisions—but most of us can't say what the data actually is.
In this episode, I'm joined by Michelle DeNio, a business growth strategist with 15+ years across business development, accounting, operations, sales and leadership, and the host of The Real Truth About Business.
Together we look at what a strategic decision looks like in practice: the offer you're ready to cancel after mentioning it three times in thirty days, the data points sitting in your business that have nothing to do with numbers, and why looking at what's already working tends to be more useful than hunting for what's broken.
In this conversation, we talk about:
why "this isn't working" is usually a conclusion drawn from far too little information,
how to find the data already sitting in your business—where your clients came from, how often you followed up, where your time went, and
what changes when you define success on your own terms before measuring anything against it.
If you've ever made a decision because something felt like it wasn't working, this is a conversation worth sitting with.
Connect with Michelle:
Website – http://www.michelledenioconsulting.com
LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/michelledenio
The Real Truth About Business podcast – https://michelledenioconsulting.com/podcast/
Free worksheet: the five areas money is hiding in your business – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kuIGmNxUBYZhLCvcT6OqS6dD7HH2sKh3/view?usp=sharing
Connect with Julianna:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannayauyorgan
Join my newsletter – https://daringtosucceed.com/business-newsletter/
24 Aug 2026
Mental Load: Why Leaders Run Out of Capacity Before They Run Out of Time
Your to-do list isn't the problem—the mental load underneath it is.
In this episode, I'm joined by Gabrielle Ferguson, a career coach whose work centres on identity-led leadership—helping senior leaders understand who they are beyond their job title. Together we look at what mental load actually feels like from the inside, why the always-on culture of leadership keeps topping it up, and what it takes to get back the space to think.
In this conversation, we talk about:
how mental load shows up differently in each of us, and why noticing your own signs matters more than naming the symptom,
why clearing the list is not a strategy, and what to diagnose instead when your team is constantly interrupting you, and
what a toxic culture costs you in capacity long before it costs you anything else.
If you've been logging on early and staying late just to find time to think, this is a conversation worth making space for.
Connect with Gabrielle:
Website – https://www.gabrielleferguson.com/contact
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellefergusoncoach/
Connect with Julianna:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannayauyorgan
Join my newsletter – https://www.daringtosucceed.com/newsletter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
89
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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Questions about Daring to Succeed: Becoming unapologetically introverted in your career & life
Who hosts Daring to Succeed: Becoming unapologetically introverted in your career & life?
Julianna and Julianna Yau Yorgan and Patricia host the show. Published by Julianna Yau Yorgan.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
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