Done Pretending

About Done Pretending

Done Pretending is a sanctuary for the soul where healing meets authentic living. Host Susan Houston shares powerful stories of courage, freedom, and truth that inspire you to drop the mask, embrace who you really are, and live the life you were created for.

Publisher

Susan Houston

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Dec 2025

Latest episode

23 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Episode 38 | She Quit Tech, then Traveled 50 Countries Alone: Renee Maxine Haas- Trust, Uncertainty, Letting Go of the Plan

   Most of us were taught that if you work hard enough and plan carefully enough, you'll end up with a life that feels like yours. But what happens when you check every box and it still feels quietly off? In this episode of Done Pretending, Susan sits down with Renee Maxine Haas — former tech industry leader turned solo traveler, author, and podcast host — who walked away from a secure, successful career to travel alone through 50 countries over two years. Renee opens up about the two-year internal negotiation before she finally left her job, the morning walk where the idea to quit and travel first hit her, and what it actually felt like to go from having every answer to having none. She and Susan talk candidly about the difference between planning and gripping, how hyper-independence can quietly become isolation, the moment in Hong Kong when she was forced to ask a stranger for help, and why the hardest part of a big transformation isn't the extraordinary season — it's the ordinary Tuesday that comes after it. They also dig into gratitude as a practice (not just a feeling), why a five-year plan stopped making sense to Renee, and the advice she'd give to any woman standing where she once stood: capable, successful, and quietly wondering if this is still her life. Renee's memoir, The Fog and the Flow, is out now — links below. In this episode: * Why a stable, successful career started to feel wrong * The moment on a morning dog walk that changed everything * Solo travel, hyper-independence, and learning to receive help * The difference between planning and gripping * Living inside uncertainty instead of rushing to resolve it * Reintegration: keeping the lessons after the extraordinary season ends * Writing The Fog and the Flow Find Renee: https://www.reneemaxinehaas.com/ Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Fog-Flow-Memoir-Finding-Uncertainty/dp/B0HHFY72BS/ Social Links: https://www.instagram.com/reneemaxinehaas/ https://www.tiktok.com/@reneemaxinehaas https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnFDf9LIw5cr1mEaDCfuqeQ Podcast Links: https://the-effing-audacity.podbean.com/

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Episode 37 | I'm Fine Was My Armor: Mandy Balak's Enough Is Enough Moment

   For years, Mandy Balak's armor was one word: "fine." Three-time founder, president of the Gathering Festival, and author of the new book Chasing Enough: The High Achiever's Guide to Sustainable Success, Mandy joins Susan to unpack what happens when "I'm fine" stops being true — and what it costs to keep saying it anyway. Mandy walks us through her own "enough is enough" moment: a Slack notification at a football game, a husband asking "where'd you go?", and a walk out of the stadium that she thought was the end of her marriage — but turned out to be the beginning of her own reclamation. Susan and Mandy trade stories of identity crisis, corporate burnout, and the quiet erosion of self that happens when you're always the one everyone goes to. This episode dives into the six "armors" that keep high achievers stuck — the over-functioner, the controller, the hyperachiever, the pleaser, the avoider, and the perfectionist — plus a free quiz to help you find yours. In This Episode * Susan's own two "done pretending" moments — leaving a 19-year corporate career and a marriage she'd outgrown * Mandy's "I'm fine" armor and the football-game rupture that changed everything * Why suppressing needs and tolerating too much creates a slow depletion cycle * The six armors: over-functioner, controller, hyperachiever, pleaser, avoider, perfectionist * How to interrupt the "I wish / I should have" spiral with gratitude * Mandy's book Chasing Enough and her free pattern-identification quiz Who is she?? Mandy Balak is a three-time founder, president of the Gathering Festival, and author of Chasing Enough: The High Achiever's Guide to Sustainable Success (Canada release Sept 22, 2026, US release Oct 20, 2026). She helps high performers who've "run out of road" on a version of success that was handed to them, not chosen. Resources & Links~ *Take Mandy's free 4-minute pattern quiz: http://mandybalak.com/quiz * Pre-order Chasing Enough: http://mandybalak.com/book * Mandy's book tour dates (Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto): http://mandybalak.com/tour Connect with Mandy: - Instagram: instagram.com/mandybalak - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandybalak/ Loved this episode?Share it with the friend, sister, or daughter who needs to hear it — and drop a comment below. We read every one, and it helps us bring you more conversations like this.

3. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Episode 36 | From War Zones to Goosebumps: Helen Gibson MBE on the Courage to Change

   Goosebumps as Guidance: Helen Gibson MBE on Encouragement, Change & Finding Your WayIn this episode of Done Pretending, I sit down with the incredible Helen Gibson MBE — someone I had the honor of meeting at my TEDx talk in Swansea, Wales. Helen is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and author whose career has taken her from working in her family's business alongside her father and sister, to advising UK and foreign governments on some of the world's most complex challenges — including work in war zones, post-conflict reconstruction, and disaster recovery.Helen shares the story behind her new book, Goosebumps, and why she calls herself the "Chief Encourager." We talk about:✨ How she went from the classroom to the world's toughest environments — without ever planning it that way✨ Why encouragement, not answers, is what unlocks courage and change✨ Her simple "traffic light" method for recognizing and trusting your own goosebumps moments✨ Navigating change through values, especially in uncharted territory✨ What legacy she hopes to leave behind — and why encouragement is at the heart of itWhether you're facing a big life transition or just need a reminder that you don't have to have it all figured out, Helen's wisdom on encouragement, courage, and finding your way one step at a time will stay with you long after this episode ends.🎥 Watch her TEDx talk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtbMDM33q2s📖 Get Helen's book, Goosebumps: The book is available through Amazon.com https://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Goosebumps-encourage-yourself-goosebump/dp/1806340313 ..and international online retailers such as Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Helen-Gibson-Go-for-Goosebumps-Paperback-9781806340316/19874965061?classType=REGULAR&from=/search 🔗 Connect with Helen Gibson MBE: Email: helen@helengibsonmbe.com Website: www.helengibsonmbe.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helengibsonmbe/ Twitter: https://x.com/helengibson1 👉 Subscribe to Done Pretending for more conversations on reinvention, courage, and living life on your own terms.

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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